Succession in family versus nonfamily SMEs: What influence does it have on performance?

The literature on family SMEs usually shows a negative influence of succession on performance. Based on a behavioural approach, we identify several advantages of intrafamily succession that enhance value creation. In order to confirm the positive impact of intrafamily succession on performance, a matched pair research design is used to compare the effect of succession between 102 family and nonfamily SMEs. Our results indicate that intrafamily succession contributes to value creation in family SMEs. Moreover, intrafamily succession leads to higher levels of performance in comparison with nonfamily SMEs experiencing succession and ownership transfer. Copyright © 2014 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family Firm Heterogeneity and Tax Aggressiveness: A Mixed Gamble Approach

Few studies try to understand how the unique preferences of family firms affect tax strategies, and how family firm heterogeneity drives variation in tax activities. Drawing on the mixed gamble approach, this study examines the tax aggressiveness of different types of family firms, considering how various sources of heterogeneity alter the perception of potential gains and losses to socioemotional and financial wealth. Based on a panel dataset of 242 private family firms for the period 2012–2014, this study shows that strong family-owned firms, family firms with a family CFO, family-founder firms, and family-named firms display lower levels of tax aggressiveness. These findings demonstrate that family firm heterogeneity is a crucial factor in the mixed gamble calculus of tax aggressiveness.     

Family CEO and board service: Turning the tide for export scope in family SMEs

Adopting the socioemotional wealth perspective, we argue that the presence of a family CEO in family SMEs negatively affects export scope, but that such negative effect is mitigated by board service. We develop and test a model that considers the synergistic combination of family management and another important aspect of family governance in the context of family firm internationalization: the service behavior of the board of directors. The empirical evidence from a sample of 248 Belgian family SMEs shows that governance is crucial to overcoming the problems of family management: family CEOs may negatively influence export scope, but board service is able to turn the tide so that the family CEO effect becomes positive. With such novel findings, we contribute to international business and family business studies     

Entrepreneurial orientation and performance in private family firms: A configurational model

The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance has received considerable attention from the family business literature. However, little is known about how EO, organizational parameters, and environmental characteristics act in combination to influence family firm performance. Drawing on the socioemotional wealth perspective, this study proposes a configurational model that considers the performance implications of EO, family management, and environmental dynamism. The empirical analysis indicates that the combination of family management, low EO, and low environmental dynamism engenders the best performance. The paper contributes to the family entrepreneurship literature by identifying the conditions under which EO leads to improved performance in family firms, and answers a recent call for more context‐based investigations of the performance effects of family managers. © 2018 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organizational Agility of Family Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Evidence from the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

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