Explanatory and predictive drivers of entrepreneurial orientation and innovation capacity: Evidence from family enterprises

Häußler S., Ulrich P.

AbstractThe escalating demands from legislative authorities and stakeholders for companies to adopt corporate sustainability measures underscore the growing importance of strategic sustainability management. Despite the efforts made by companies in this domain, the strategic management of sustainability in family businesses remains an under-researched area. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review covering the period from 2006 to 2022, on the topic of strategic sustainability management in family businesses. Our investigation encompasses a content analysis of 98 relevant studies. Our research question is: “What aspects are taken into account by family businesses in their corporate sustainability strategies?” We tackle this issue through a methodological triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods. Our results yield three clusters of strategies for corporate sustainability in family businesses: (1) Family values and succession planning; Stakeholder relations and communication; (2) Risk taking, Inventions, and Technologies; and (3) Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship. In addition, we systematically present a range of descriptive indicators, including the research methodologies applied and the geographic focus of the published literature. This research contributes significant insights for scholars and practitioners alike, providing valuable guidance in this field. Moreover, our study paves the way for further investigations into the strategies that influence sustainability within the context of family businesses. By shedding light on this critical area, we aim to foster a more sustainable and informed approach to corporate practices among family-owned enterprises.

Marques I.C., Leitão J., Ferreira J., Cavalcanti A.

PurposeAdopting the research concept of socioemotional wealth (SEW) as applied to family firm leaders, this study aims to analyse the literature on succession and corporate governance processes in family firms in keeping with this still developing concept and thereby not only contributing to advancing knowledge on this field but also proposing a conceptual model of analysis and a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out a review and systematisation of the literature according to its different thematic groups through recourse to VOSviewer software and content analysis to establish a systematised and integrated structure of the reference literature based on a sample of 218 studies published and indexed on the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases between 2010 and 2021.FindingsThe results portray five leading clusters, specifically, (1) SEW and family firm performance; (2) SEW and the focus on leadership as a precursor to succession; (3) family firms, SEW and corporate social governance; (4) family firm innovation and performance; and (5) family ownership and management. The authors then put forward a conceptual model of analysis both to better integrate these topics and as a proposition for application in future research projects.Originality/valueThe study provides a new and solid systematisation of the literature and supports the argument that family firms concentrating on developing the leader's SEW increase the probability of structuring a successful succession process as well as the likelihood of achieving higher quality corporate governance.

Frezatti F., de Souza Bido D., Mucci D.M., Beck F., da Cruz A.P.

The intention to continue as a family business in the long run is part of what defines such firms. However, this should be treated as a challenge in the relationship between the family and organization instead of an assumption. This research captured data through a survey and addresses the association between four dimensions of socioemotional wealth (SEW) and the management control structure, as well as the impact on a fifth dimension of SEW, which is the intention to maintain the organization for future generations. The main research gap addressed is the lack of studies on the impact of management controls on the expectation that the family business will be maintained for future generations. Such controls are a very important mechanism for preserving the accumulated knowledge for these generations. Our conceptual contribution lies in integrating the SEW approach with the management control model, indicating the impact on the intention to continue as a family business. This work highlights the importance of using an interactive control system as a mechanism to strengthen the propensity for the organization to continue being controlled by the family. Interactive systems involve pure knowledge and depend on the use of business diagnostic mechanisms, which could be hindered by the intensity of the family’s presence, control, and influence.