Research Outputs
Post-disaster recovery for family firms: The role of owner motivations, firm resources, and dynamic capabilities
Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes and pandemics) negatively affect firms and their stakeholders. These disasters disrupt the operations of firms and lives of people by generating a shock in the system. Small firms are especially vulnerable to the shocks and disturbances resulting from these disasters. Since small firms, especially family firms, are key economic contributors and agents of recovery in any community, understanding their post-disaster recovery processes is critical. Therefore, this study examines the post-disaster recovery processes of small family firms. We utilize a grounded theory approach to analyze and propose that resources and socioemotional wealth priorities influence the post-disaster recovery of small family firms. Utilizing the 8.8 Richter scale earthquake in Chile in 2010 as a natural disaster, we examine the eight-year lagged data of 20 small family firms with disrupted operations. Our findings have important implications for small firms experiencing the negative consequences of disruptions, including those experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic-induced disruption.
Marketing strategies in family firms
Branding and reputation plays an important role in determining firm behaviour and outcomes. These well-known marketing concepts have attracted attention of family firm scholars as well. However, despite the significant growth in family firm literature over the last two decades, the application of marketing theories and concepts in family firm context is limited. Thus, there is an urgent need for a better understanding of reputation, branding, communication, and marketing perspectives in family firms. The goal of this special issue is to enhance our understanding of marketing strategies in family firms. This special issue features 5 articles that represents the work of 12 scholars from five different countries.
Direct and indirect effects of SEWi, family human capital and social capital on organizational social capital in small family firms
Given the importance of social capital in organizations, this research answers the question of how socioemotional wealth importance (SEWi), family human capital and family social capital influence organizational social capital in small family firms. Based on a sample of 334 small family businesses from the BiobÃo Region in Chile, a partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis (PLS-SEM) was performed. The results do not provide support for the predicted direct influence of family social capital on organizational social capital, but they support an indirect influence through SEWi and family human capital, both of which have a direct and positive influence on family firms’ organizational social capital. This means that SEWi and family human capital play a central role in generating organizational social capital in small family firms. It also suggests that both ability and willingness of family businesses play a role in allowing these firms to successfully transfer social capital from the family to the business system.
How much do network support and managerial skills affect women’s entrepreneurial success? The overlooked role of country economic development
The success of women-owned businesses with regard to the stages of economic development of countries is under-examined on a global basis. This study explores the relationship between country economic and political contexts and assesses the importance of entrepreneurs’ networks and managerial skills on women’s entrepreneurial success. The research uses data from 22 countries chosen from multi-dimensional country context constructs (i.e., select economic and political factors) and measures both family and external moral and financial support and managerial skills. The results show that stock (managerial skill) and flow (family and non-family support) differentially influence women’s entrepreneurial success in countries at varying levels of competitive development. In particular, the results confirm the positive influence of managerial skills and family moral and financial support on women’s entrepreneurial success (based on annual income) in countries at a higher level of competitive development and confirm their negative influence in countries at a lower level of competitive growth. Moreover, the results reveal influences of non-family financial support (positive for highly competitive countries) on income but not nonfamily moral support. Public policy implications are discussed.
Job-demand and family business resources in pandemic context: How they influence burnout and job satisfaction
This research aims to explore how work demands and resource variables affect the burnout and satisfaction of employees of family businesses in the context of the pandemic (COVID-19) and the moderation effect of fear of COVID-19 on this relationship. A sample of 214 Chilean family business employees is used for hypotheses testing. Results indicate that the demands and resources partially explain the burnout and satisfaction of employees of family firms during the pandemic. Employees’ fear of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between resources-demands and burnout-job satisfaction in family firms. This work contributes to understanding how these organizations can manage adverse scenarios to survive and continue operations.
Should a family firm communicate their family identity and country of origin? A cross-cultural study from Chile and Spain
Purpose: This paper investigates the influence of firms' communication in terms of family firm identity and country-of-origin on consumer response. Design/methodology/approach: A self-supplied online experiment in Chile and Spain is employed using as dependent variables brand trust and intention to buy. The experiment includes the following factors: family firm identity (family vs non-family), country of origin (national vs foreign) and as a manipulation check (type of product: hedonic vs utilitarian). Findings: The results indicate that communicating the family firm identity increases brand trust and purchase intention. Consumers show higher scores on trust and purchase intention when exposed to national country of origin products. The effect of the variability on the dependent variables is greater when the family firm identity is communicated. Trust and purchase intention are different in Chilean and Spanish consumers when the family firm identity is combined with a national country of origin cue. Originality/value: This article contributes to family business theory by exploring how to capitalize on the family firm identity component in brand communication. It also contributes to the theory of corporate brand identity by proposing a communication model oriented toward consumer behavior. It also examines firms' communication (family firm identity and country-of-origin) on consumer.
Is this a family business? Effectiveness of implementing family businesses branding strategies on a radio platform
Understanding how family firms can use their family image to their advantage in communication strategies is an opportunity for business continuity. This study identifies the effects of family hotels' corporate brand strategy through radio advertising on customer perceptions and attitudes using family image communication literature and radio advertising research. Online experiment using radio ads from these hotels and a survey of 1002 participants from Chile and Spain were conducted. The results suggest that strategies improving the firm's ability to communicate the family image results in better consumer response in terms of expectation, perceived quality, visit intention, and willingness to pay more. We conclude that radio ads are an effective channel for communicating family firm images. Managers can take advantage of monetizing the benefits of family firm images through radio ads.
Reputation and identity in family firms: Current state and gaps for future research
Research surrounding the strategic value of the reputation and identity of a family firm is still an incipient topic and there is not absolute clarity about the response the different interest groups could have when these elements are communicated to them. Starting from a systematic review of the literature of Web of Science, 56 articles published between 2000 and 2020 were analyzed. The results show a growing number of articles based on the reputation and transmission of the family identity of firms. The cites in this articles have also shown important growth, confirming the relevance this topic has had. This work provides a review of the current state and evolution of the literature surrounding this topic, discusses the different lines of research related to the reputation and transfer of family identity, and finally identifies gaps in the research that can orient the development of future work.
How to empower women's entrepreneurship? An analysis of women's sport employment and contextual variables in European Union countries using a fuzzy approach
Although the number of women entrepreneurs has increased in recent years, it is still lower than that of men. In addition, although the sports sector has been characterized by its growth in recent years and contributes to the GDP of the countries by generating employment, the role that this has within female entrepreneurship has never been analysed. Therefore, the objective of this study is to know the combinations of conditions (female employment in sports, government support, financing for entrepreneurs, perception of entrepreneurial opportunities and capacities, glass ceiling index and masculine values in society) that generate high levels of female entrepreneurship in the countries of the European Union, as these values are closer to the male TEA (Total Early-Stage Entrepreneurial Activity). A total of 13 European countries were analysed using the fsQCA methodology. The results show that, for high levels of female TEA, the main combination is high levels of government support*high levels of glass ceiling index*low levels of masculinity*low levels of opportunities perception and high levels of female employment in sport, explaining 45% of the cases. The results present a series of implications for improving female entrepreneurship in the European Union countries.
Socioemotional wealth of family firms: The theoretical perspective and challenges
Using the socioemotional wealth perspective has resulted in significant advances in the understanding of family firms since this model was proposed in 2007. It is considered the most challenging theoretical framework for these organisations developed in recent years. Based on a systematic literature review from the Web of Science, 120 articles published from 2007 to 2018 were reviewed. The results show that an increasing number of works based on socioemotional wealth have been published to respond to research questions on various topics regarding family businesses. The citations of these articles have also increased greatly, confirming the pervasive influence this perspective has had. This paper explains the principles behind the socioemotional wealth perspective and how it has been used in a number of empirical and theoretical studies. It also proposes an initial discussion of two research questions on a new topic where this perspective has potential to close gaps in existing research.