Ownership, governance, and internationalization in family firms: a replication and extension

Francesco Debellis (), Michele Pinelli (), Marcel Hülsbeck () and Anne Heider ()
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Francesco Debellis: University of Vienna
Michele Pinelli: University Ca’ Foscari
Marcel Hülsbeck: Witten/Herdecke University
Anne Heider: Witten/Herdecke University

Small Business Economics, 2023, vol. 61, issue 4, No 4, 1437-1459

Abstract: Abstract In one of the most influential studies on family firm internationalization, Sciascia et al. (2012) advance a curvilinear relationship between family ownership and firm internationalization. We replicate their study adopting a three-step approach. First, we use the same measures on a different sample to test the generalizability of their findings. Second, we change the independent variable and hypothesize a negative relationship between family involvement in the board of directors and firm internationalization. Third, we introduce and measure the moderating role of firm age and firm size in this relationship. Our study advances the family firm internationalization literature both theoretically and methodologically. Theoretically, we show that it is not so much family ownership per se, but the influence the family obtains through board directorship that affects the family firm internationalization strategy. In addition, we show that this effect is moderated by firm age and size. Methodologically, our study is an important step forward toward increasingly transparent and replicable family business research.

Keywords: Family firms; Internationalization; Replication; Board of directors; Firm age; Firm size (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F23 G30 L26 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00736-8

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