Research Outputs

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Graduating college students apply here: Communicating family firm ownership and firm size

2024, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Alonso Dos Santos, Manuel, Welsh, Dianne

Attracting business college graduates is a major challenge for the growth and transgenerational success of family firms. Moreover, the institutional context of countries is critical in explaining family firms’ potential advantages and/or disadvantages in attracting nonfamily talent. This study aims to elucidate how communicating firm ownership (family vs. nonfamily), firm size (large vs. small), and type of job offered (professional vs. nonprofessional) influences the perceptions and attitudes of Latin American business graduates toward working in such firms. In an experimental study that uses job advertisement stimuli, we found that communicating family ownership positively influences career development’s perceptions of firm prestige. Large (vs. small) firm size also has a positive influence on job seekers’ perceptions of firms. Importantly, both firm prestige and career development positively influence the attraction of working in family firms. In this paper, we discuss the differences in the results among countries and professional vs. nonprofessional job positions advertised. The results have several implications for family firm owners and managers.

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Effectiveness of signaling a firm family identity to jobseekers: proactiveness and innovativeness profile of the applicant

2024, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Cuevas-Lizama, Jonathan, Sanhueza-Palma, Gonzalo, Dos Santos, Manuel Alonso

Purpose This study aims to determine how the communication of a family business identity in a recruitment call influences, directly and indirectly, the response of jobseekers, and whether this response varies according to the level of proactiveness and innovative of the applicants. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design using job advertisements on a LinkedIn recruitment call in Peru and Chile was implemented. The experiment simulates a job offer for a professional that could be filled by a business graduate student. The sample consisted of 171 surveys applied to university students in full-time higher education programs. Findings The results indicate that there is a positive indirect influence of family business signaling on the intention to pursue (through perceived prestige and career development opportunity). However, signaling family ownership of a company has a negative direct influence on jobseekers’ intentions to go to the recruitment call. When it comes to jobseekers with high and low levels of innovativeness and proactiveness, the results suggest that family business identity signaling is less effective among jobseekers with higher levels of proactiveness and innovativeness. Originality/value This article contributes to the theory of the family firm by advancing the understanding of the challenges that family businesses face when attracting talent. Our results enable family businesses to strategically adapt their hiring processes to enhance their appeal in the competitive labor market.

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Direct and indirect effects of SEWi, family human capital and social capital on organizational social capital in small family firms

2022, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Dr. Baier-Fuentes, Hugo, González-Serrano, María

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 Biobío 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.

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Socioemotional wealth of family firms: The theoretical perspective and challenges

2021, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Jabri, Muayyad

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.

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Self-reported and electroencephalogram responses to evaluate sponsorship congruence efficacy

2024, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Alonso Dos Santos, Manuel, Torres-Moraga, E., Calabuig-Moreno, F.

Information for measuring the performance of a commercial action is essential for any organization. Sponsorship actions have increased significantly in the last few decades, but academics and practitioners have not yet found a suitable indicator for measuring their performance. This is the first study to propose an objective indicator—frontal alpha asymmetry using an electroencephalogram. Our goal was to investigate the effectiveness of sports sponsorships by examining both stated preferences and neural responses. We measured the congruence of the stated preferences, attitude, purchase intention, and loyalty, as well as the effective congruence. A 76-subject experiment revealed greater left frontal activity (approach behavior) during congruent versus incongruent sponsorship (avoidance behavior). electroencephalogram results were consistent with self-reports, but we found that frontal alpha asymmetry is positively related to loyalty when sponsorship is congruent and inversely related in the incongruent case. This new indicator of sponsorship effectiveness could be useful for examining the performance of commercial action at both academic and professional levels.

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Post-disaster recovery for family firms: The role of owner motivations, firm resources, and dynamic capabilities

2022, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Dra. Hebles-Ortiz, Melany, Mahto, Raj

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.

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Transmission of family identity and consumer response: Do consumers recognize family firms?

2022, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Alonso Dos Santos, Manuel, Ibáñez, María

Purpose: Communicating the identity of a family business generates positive results in consumer response. The paper aims to understanding how the efficient transmission of family identity can influence consumer behavior is essential for designing family firms' marketing communication strategies. Design/methodology/approach: An experimental study based on the eye-tracking technique was designed to determine how attention to (familiar vs non-familiar) visual stimuli on a website influences consumer recognition of a family firm status and how it influences consumer behavior. A sample of 212 individuals was exposed to (simulated) websites of family and non-family firms in the hospitality industry to capture information about their eye movements and measure visual attention to specific stimuli that communicated family identity. Findings: Visual attention has a direct and positive influence on recognizing family firm's identity (FFI). Through FFI, visual attention has an indirect positive effect on trust in the company and attitude toward the brand (BraAtt). Trust in a firm positively affects purchase intention (PurInt). Originality/value: It is known that consumers can perceive a FFI; however, there is no study on the sensory mechanisms operating in consumers' perceptions of family identity. The study contributes to understanding how consumers can perceive a FFI. This study proposes a novel method for evaluating consumer responses by transmitting family business identity on digital platforms.

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Effectuation and strategic evolution for sustainable longevity: The case of a 19th-generation family firm

2024, Dra. Hebles-Ortiz, Melany, Welsh, Dianne, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando

Purpose: This article explains the causal mechanism supporting sustainable longevity by analysing the last three generations of one of the oldest family firms in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach: An explanatory single-case qualitative research based on critical realism explores why and how this family firm has been able to maintain its multigenerational longevity. Findings: Los Lingues's evolutionary strategy, driven by transgenerational entrepreneurship under effectuation, has supported this family firm's sustainable longevity. Its effectual logic emerged mainly from the richness of the firm's historical resources embedded in its identity, knowledge and social capital and priority to preserve socioemotional wealth. Originality/value: This study integrates socioemotional wealth and effectuation theory to explain a family firm's ability to survive through generations and sustain longevity. The study demonstrates the relevance of effectual logic in the entrepreneurial dynamics of a multigenerational family firm. Effectual logic drives the firm evolution and adaptation for sustainable longevity.

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Should a family firm communicate their family identity and country of origin? A cross-cultural study from Chile and Spain

2022, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, Alonso Dos Santos, Manuel, Calabuig-Moreno, Ferran, Felicio, Jose

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.

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How to empower women's entrepreneurship? An analysis of women's sport employment and contextual variables in European Union countries using a fuzzy approach

2021, Dr. Llanos-Contreras, Orlando, González-Serrano, María, Calabuig-Moreno, Ferran

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.