Limits to the Growth of Family-Owned Business? The Case of Chinese Transnational Corporations from Hong Kong

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Wai-chung Yeung
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Domestic Markets ◽  
Qualitative Case Studies

It has become conventional wisdom in management literature that family-owned business is restricted by its management practices and, therefore, cannot grow beyond a certain size. In the case of Chinese family firms, these practices are related to paternalism, nepotism, personalism, and fragmentation. This paper examines three detailed qualitative case studies of Chinese family firms from Hong Kong that have relentlessly pursued growth through internationalization. It argues that venturing into foreign markets and transnational operations has become an effective means for Chinese family firms to expand beyond the limits of domestic markets and centripetal management structures. International business strategies enable Chinese family firms to socialize trusted members into the corporate “family,” provide a training ground for the future heir to the patriarch, and consolidate networks of personal and business relationships. There are, therefore, no a priori reasons to support the alleged limits to the growth of Chinese family firms in their international context.

Strategic Choice and the Nature of the Chinese Family Business: An Exploratory Study of the Hong Kong Watch Industry

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard Davies ◽  
Catherine Ma
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Strategic Choice ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Watch Industry

This study examines the relationship between the nature of the Chinese Family Business (CFB) and the business strategies adopted, in the setting of the Hong Kong watch industry. The nature of the CFB is conceptualized and measured as a set of sub-dimensions, represented by continuous variables. It is hypothesized that ‘ CFBness’ is positively associated with ‘traditional’ business strategies, but inhibitive of ‘upgrading’. The results show that the hypotheses are partially supported. While the findings support the view that firms’ strategic choices are constrained by material and ideational influences in their environment, only a small proportion of the variation in business strategies is accounted for by ‘CFB-ness’, leaving ample room for human agency. Overall, the results support a ‘middle view’ between the deterministic and voluntaristic perspectives, whereby firms exercise strategic choice within an environment that predisposes, but does not fix, their behaviour.

Factors Determining the Internationalization of Spanish Family SMEs

2020 ◽  
pp. 148-167
Author(s):  
Marta Fernández-Olmos
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
International Expansion ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Product Innovations ◽  
The Family ◽  
Spanish Family ◽  
Family Smes ◽  
Degree Of Internationalization

This chapter examines the factors determining international expansion for a group of Spanish family SMEs. Internationalization is modelled taking into account both the decision to enter foreign markets and the degree of internationalization. This chapter uses the information provided by the Survey on Business Strategies in Spain, including 1,519 observations. The results indicate that the presence of the second generation in the family firm, the establishment of alliances with other firms, and some intangible resources (in particular, product innovations, and human resources) all positively influence the degree of internationalization. The results also indicate that the size and age of family firms are important factors in determining their international expansion.

scholarly journals Business Strategy, Technology Development and Characteristics of Asian Firms: An Empirical Study of the Hong Kong Electronics Industry

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ko ◽  
Cindy Ge
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Technology Policy ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Electronics Industry ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Technology Strategy ◽  
Original Design

This research explores the phenomenon of firm performance as it relates to the business strategy, characteristics of Chinese Family Business (CFB) in Hong Kong's Electronic Companies, and technology strategy adopted by these firms. The motive to do this research is that there has been very little work on business strategy in export-oriented "developing economies - latecomer economies" as referred by Zahra and Covin (1993). There has also been little work on technology policy/strategy in Hong Kong, although there have been many suggestions that Hong Kong firms "need" to change and up-grade their business strategies. Added to this, Hong Kong firms have interesting characteristics (Chinese Family Business, CFB), which may be related to their business and technology strategies. Performance may be determined by the strategies they adopt. In this research, the key dimensions of "technology strategy/policy" are identified, including Imitation, Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM), which are important in Hong Kong, but which have not been explored much in the literature. Hong Kong firms were selected in this topic since as China is found to become the world's manufacturing base and a lot of that industry, especially in Electronics Industry that this is an important topic.

Born to Rebel? The Owner Birth Order and R&D Investments in Chinese Family Firms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Helena Li ◽  
Jin‐hui Luo ◽  
Marco De Sisto ◽  
Timothy Bartram
Keyword(s):  
Birth Order ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Chinese Family

scholarly journals Sugar Beet Performance with Curly Top Is Related to Virus Accumulation and Age at Infection

Plant Disease ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 90 (5) ◽  
pp. 657-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Wintermantel ◽  
Stephen R. Kaffka
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Beet ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Virus Concentration ◽  
Multiple Traits ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Plant Weight ◽  
Virus Accumulation ◽  
Greenhouse Assay

Resistance to curly top disease caused by Beet curly top virus (BCTV) and related curtoviruses has been important to sustainable sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) production in the western United States for most of the last century. Recent advances in sugar beet genetics have led to the development of high-yielding cultivars, but these cultivars have little resistance to curly top disease. These cultivars are highly effective when disease management practices or environmental factors minimize curly top incidence, but can result in significant losses in years with early infection or abundant curly top. A greenhouse assay has been developed to rapidly test cultivars for a broad array of factors affecting performance in the presence of curly top. Previous studies have shown that sugar beet plants were more susceptible and losses more severe when seedlings were infected by BCTV, but less severe when plants were larger at the time of infection. To evaluate more precisely the relationship between age at infection, disease severity, virus accumulation, and yield loss in modern cultivars that were not bred for curly top resistance, individual sugar beet plants varying in degree of resistance and susceptibility to curly top were inoculated by viruliferous beet leafhoppers (Circulifer tenellus) when plants had two, four, or six true leaves, and maintained in a greenhouse for 6 weeks. When plants were inoculated at the two-leaf stage, all cultivars became severely stunted, with high disease ratings and similar rates of symptom development, regardless of resistance or susceptibility of the cultivar. Plants inoculated at four-and six-leaf stages exhibited increasing separation between resistant and susceptible phenotypes, with highly resistant cultivars performing well with low disease ratings and increased plant weights relative to susceptible cultivars. High-yielding cultivars performed only slightly better than the susceptible control cultivar. Results from greenhouse trials matched those from field trials conducted under heavy curly top pressure. Importantly, low virus concentration was directly correlated with lower disease ratings and higher plant weight, while elevated virus concentrations corresponded to higher disease ratings and lower weights. This demonstrates that a rapid greenhouse assay involving multiple traits can provide a rapid and effective means of selecting cultivars with improved curly top control, and could lead to more rapid incorporation of resistance into high-yielding sugar beet.

SEVERAL SOIL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES INFLUENCING THE GROWTH AND RHIZOME DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY

1966 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter J. Kender ◽  
Franklin P. Eggert
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Flower Buds ◽  
Flower Bud ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Rhizome Growth ◽  
Lowbush Blueberry ◽  
Rhizome Development

A field experiment using various soil management practices showed that the most effective means to increase blueberry plant spread was through the use of a surface mulch. Peat and sawdust were of equal suitability as a mulching material influencing vegetative growth, although sawdust did result in a reduction in the number of flower buds produced when compared with peat. Mulching was associated with a higher soil moisture content than non-mulched plots.Blueberry plants growing in nitrogen-treated plots had an increased flower bud number and rhizome growth in contrast with those growing in unfertilized plots. Nitrogen fertilization was of particular benefit when applied in association with surface organic mulches.Plants growing in an undisturbed soil were more vigorous than in a homogenized or tilled soil. Sawdust was found to be detrimental to the growth of lowbush blueberry plants when incorporated into a homogenized soil.

scholarly journals Strategies for Effective Waste Reduction and Management of Building Construction Projects in Highly Urbanized Cities—A Case Study of Hong Kong

Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Ann T. W. Yu ◽  
Irene Wong ◽  
Zezhou Wu ◽  
Chi-Sun Poon
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Construction Waste ◽  
Waste Management Practices

Hong Kong is a densely populated city with high-rise developments, and as in other metropolitan cities, the amount of waste generated from construction projects in the city is increasing annually. The capacity of existing landfills is expected to be saturated by the 2020s. Construction waste management has been implemented for years but the performance is still not satisfactory. The aim of this research paper is to explore and formulate strategies and measures for effective construction waste management and reduction in highly urbanized cities such as Hong Kong. A desktop study on construction waste management practices was carried out for a preliminary understanding of the current situation in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews and focus group meetings were further conducted to shed light on how to improve construction waste reduction and management in Hong Kong. The main contributions of this research study are the potential short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies, which are related to the design stage, tender stage, construction stage, and government support. The five major strategies recommended are financial benefits to stakeholders, public policies in facilitating waste sorting, government supports for the green building industry, development of a mature recycling market, and education and research in construction waste minimization and management.

Changes in the contents of corporate codes of ethics: an institutional interpretation

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 369-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jang B. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
Legal Authority ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Management ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to examine changes in the contents of Canadian corporate codes of ethics over a period of two decades from an institutionalization perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The paper tracks changes in the contents of the codes of large Canadian corporations longitudinally by analyzing their contents at two points over two decades, in 1992 and 2012. In particular, the paper tests three hypotheses related to the institutionalization of codes. Findings – It was found that the codes have become more prescriptive, they are more concerned with social responsibility and are more likely to identify their moral and legal authority. Overall, the findings support an institutional interpretation of the observed changes. Research limitations/implications – While large corporations are critical in establishing new and innovative management practices, their selection as the study population limits the generalizabilty of the findings. Another limitation of this paper is that it used an a priori determined set of items to analyze the contents of the codes and while this was needed to facilitate the comparison across time, it also meant that some important items were not clearly identified. Originality/value – Codes of ethics are the foundation of ethics programs in corporations and their contents could be critical in the development of a culture of ethics in corporations. This paper makes a valuable contribution to research on business ethics by analyzing the codes of ethics of the largest corporations in Canada at two points over two decades. The need to track changes in corporate codes of ethics over time has been advocated by several researchers, but longitudinal studies in this area are rare.

Inside an African family business estate: the founder’s legacy and the successor’s dilemma

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zubaida Muhumed ◽  
Virginia Bodolica ◽  
Martin Spraggon
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Ripple Effect ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Family

Subject area Family business. Study level/applicability Specialized undergraduate courses, Elective MBA courses. Case overview This case study uncovers the remarkable story of the relentless growth and sporadic weakening of Nurul Ain (NA) Limited, a family business conglomerate with major operations in the Eastern region of Africa. The case provides an opportunity to follow the different stages of development of this family-owned organization through a sequence of strategic events and family dynamics that led to its recurrent success, decline and rejuvenation. Despite the numerous successes of NA Limited since its establishment in the early 1990s, the ambiguous relationship between family, ownership and management systems has caused a ripple effect of strategic, structural and governance challenges that threaten the sustainability of the family business. Nowadays, the founder faces the pressing challenge of ensuring his legacy remains intact and is passed over to his chosen successor, who, in turn, is confronted with the dilemma of joining the family business or pursing an independent career outside NA Limited. Shedding light on the complexity of today’s family-run organizations, the case allows examining the effectiveness of strategic decision-making in an emerging market context by applying a variety of family business principles, theories and frameworks. Expected learning outcomes Discuss the sources of competitive advantage and the typical challenges that family firms face in the context of emerging markets. Perform a comprehensive corporate diagnosis and examine the specificities of strategic management process in family businesses. Assess the succession management practices in family-run organizations and design a profile of successful successor. Discuss the effectiveness of various corporate governance mechanisms in the context of family-owned enterprises. Evaluate the strategic choices of the top management team and offer recommendations for securing the family business longevity. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 11: Strategy.

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