Is innovativeness always beneficial in family SMEs? The moderating role of generational stage

Jonathan Bauweraerts and Olivier Colot

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2023, vol. 48, issue 2, 101-127

Abstract: Many studies suggest that innovativeness is positively related to performance in small- and medium-sized family enterprises (family SMEs); however, empirical and theoretical controversies surround this problematic. This study proposes and tests an integrative framework connecting two explanations for these inconsistencies: the innovativeness-performance relationship is curvilinear, and the performance implications of innovativeness are contingent upon the firm's generational stage. Drawing on the socio-emotional wealth theory, the results from a dataset of 204 Belgian family SMEs show an inverted U-shaped relationship between innovativeness and performance. Furthermore, the generational stage of the firm negatively moderates this curvilinear relationship.

Keywords: SMEs; innovativeness; performance; generational stage; family firms. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijesbu:v:48:y:2023:i:2:p:101-127

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