Open Access
Enhancing innovation through ESG practices: the superior impact on family businesses
(Emerald, 2025-02-24) Barguilla Sanclaudio, Maite; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Salazar Morales, Iván Alfredo; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Purpose: This work contributes to the debate on the link between environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria and firm innovation, incorporating ownership structure as a moderating variable. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to analyse the impact of ESG criteria on innovation, considering firm ownership as a catalyst that strengthens the effect of environmental and social practices on innovative performance. Findings: Family-owned firms, with their unique characteristics like long-term orientation and commitment to family values, strengthen the relationship between environmental and social practices and innovation performance. This suggests that such firms are better positioned to leverage their corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and activities. Practical implications: The findings offer valuable insights for decision-making in organizations, particularly family firms focused on innovation and sustainability. The research shows that investing in sustainability practices not only ensures ESG compliance but also significantly fosters innovation. Originality/value: This study contributes to the debate regarding the relationship between ESG criteria and firm innovative performance. It highlights how the implementation of ESG practices influences innovation, and particularly how firm ownership further enhances the relationship between environmental and social practices and firm innovative performance.
Open Access
How important is family involvement for small companies’ growth?
(Emerald, 2020) Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; García Olaverri, Carmen; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas
Purpose: Our paper seeks to further understand how family involvement in management influences firm growth. Design/methodology/approach: Using a sample of small high-tech firms, we classify three different types of firms: family firms managed by family-CEOs, family firms managed by non-family CEOs and non-family firms. Findings: Consistent with our expectations, we show that firms managed by family-CEOs have less firm growth in comparison with the other two groups. When the family firm is managed by non-family CEOs, the presence of another family member in management positions has a negative impact on firm growth. Finally, we found that founder-led family firms have better firm growth than descendant-led family firms. Research limitations/implications: Implications for the theory of family firms are discussed. Originality/value: The value of the present study is to analyse in depth the heterogeneity of the family business trying to close the gap by exploring the effect of family involvement on small firm growth. Thus, we will find different behaviours of these family companies, depending on the family member’s presence in management positions.
Open Access
Female CEOs and default risk in listed family firms
(Emerald, 2023) Abinzano Guillén, María Isabel; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Martínez García, Beatriz; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of female CEO board members on listed family firms’ corporate default risk, integrating upper echelons theory with social role theory and the socio-emotional wealth approach and proxying default risk with the Black–Scholes–Merton model. It also searches for possible differences attributable to the type of female CEO. Design/methodology/approach: This study is applied to a longitudinal sample of listed US family firms. After a preliminary analysis of the main descriptive, several models are estimated with the system GMM estimator, which is a panel data estimator. The models are dynamic, including the lagged value of the dependent variable. In addition, the model estimation is repeated with a different measure of default risk, for robustness. Findings: This research findings show that default risk diminishes in the presence of a female CEO, whose reduction is even greater if she is a family member. The results are proven to be robust to the measure for proxying default risk. Originality/value: This study primarily contributes to the existing literature by exploring a possible link between female CEOs, particularly those with a family affiliation, and a lower level of default risk in family firms. It also provides practical implications for policymakers, who would be advised to promote conditions enabling women to contribute towards family business viability. In addition, this study offers encouragement for family business owners to value the potential of their female family members in company succession processes.
Open Access
Psychological ownership in family firms: a perspective article
(Emerald, 2024-02-12) Caicedo Leitón, Ana Lucía; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Larraza Kintana, Martín; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Purpose: This article explores psychological ownership (PO) in family firms (FFs); its impact on interpersonal relationships, attitudes and behaviors within the organization; and its importance for long-term success. It also highlights the factors that contribute to PO in these types of businesses. Design/methodology/approach: The article conducts a literature review that utilizes existing research to delve into the phenomenon of PO within the context of FFs. Findings: The article emphasizes that PO significantly impacts employee behavior and attitudes toward FFs. It shows the favorable influence of PO on employees' conduct and mindset. However, excessive PO can lead to disputes and obstruct the transfer of control. Practical implications: The success of family businesses depends on nurturing strong, positive PO in future generations and among nonfamily members. Originality/value: The article contributes to PO literature in FFs by analyzing its influence on FFs. It highlights factors affecting PO formation and its consequences and highlights novel lines of future research.
Open Access
Nurturing seeds of innovation: the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and socio-emotional wealth and its implications for family business innovation
(Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica, 2024) Caicedo Leitón, Ana Lucía; Villanueva, Nuria; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Esta investigación examina la relación entre la transmisión de la orientación emprendedora (OE) y la riqueza socioemocional (SEW), así como sus implicaciones para la innovación dentro de las empresas familiares. Para ello, se llevó a cabo un estudio de caso único sobre una empresa familiar española mediante entrevistas y revisión documental. Los datos fueron analizados utilizando análisis temático y análisis de incidentes críticos. Los hallazgos de este estudio de caso destacan que la relación entre la Orientación Emprendedora y la Riqueza Socioemocional en empresas familiares es compleja y posee importantes implicaciones para la innovación. La interrelación dinámica entre la orientación emprendedora y la riqueza socioemocional se caracteriza por una simbiosis que se refuerza mutuamente, lo que contribuye a garantizar la supervivencia a largo plazo de la empresa familiar analizada.
Open Access
The role of female directors in family firms' annual report's readability
(Emerald, 2024) Abinzano Guillén, María Isabel; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Martínez García, Beatriz; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Purpose: this paper investigates the impact of board gender diversity on the readability of the annual reports of family-controlled public companies. Design/methodology/approach: grounded in the premises of the restricted and extended views of the socioemotional wealth (SEW) approach and executive power theory, this paper explores the ways in which family-affiliated female directors influence report readability in a sample of 133 publicly traded US companies listed in the Fortune 1,000. We use the system GMM estimator, which deals with two key sources of endogeneity by controlling first for reverse causality, using the lags of the endogenous variables as instruments, and then for omitted variables, capturing the individual effect. Findings: our analysis confirms that the significant enhancement in annual report readability is associated with the presence of female family directors, particularly those who are insiders within the company. In contrast, non-family female directors and family outsider directors appear to have a negative impact on annual report readability. Originality/value: while scholars have increasingly focused on variations in annual report readability among family firms, the contribution of female directors to this phenomenon has received minimal attention. In our study, we integrate the theories of restricted and extended SEW perspectives with the theory of women's executive power within the board. This integration is essential for considering two critical factors: firstly, the primacy of their SEW objectives, and, secondly, their legitimacy within the board.
Embargo
Editorial note: heterogeneity in management and governance in family firms
(Elsevier, 2023) Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Heterogeneity within family firms has emerged as a pivotal area of research interest. This special edition of The Journal of High Technology Management Research makes a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the diversity found within family-run enterprises, with a specific emphasis on the variances in governance and management structures. In this introductory piece, the proposition is put forth that family governance, encompassing both ownership and management, alongside the decisions guiding governance practices, plays a pivotal role in driving diversity within family businesses. This exploration delves into multiple facets of heterogeneity within family firms. The subsequent content of this issue comprises four studies that illuminate the impact of governance on diverse aspects, including the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, innovation in products and processes, strategic maneuvers, and the distinctive governance structures prevalent in Latin American family businesses. Furthermore, this discourse extends beyond the findings presented in these studies by delving into uncharted realms of research, focusing on the disparities evident in the contextual settings and governance mechanisms adopted by different family firms.
Open Access
Innovation at the heart: unveiling the strategic mastery of family firms in resource management
(Universidad de Málaga, 2024-07-29) Beaumont Miqueleiz, Marina; Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
En el panorama empresarial actual, la innovación es esencial para que las empresas aseguren su supervivencia y competitividad. Sin embargo, la innovación a menudo requiere inversiones sustanciales que pueden exceder los recursos internos de una empresa, lo que lleva a las empresas a buscar mecanismos alternativos, como la colaboración tecnológica con entidades externas y la inversión en I+D. La investigación ha demostrado que ambas estrategias influyen positivamente en el desempeño innovador de las empresas. Sin embargo, los factores que afectan el comportamiento organizacional y los resultados a menudo se pasan por alto. Las empresas familiares, caracterizadas por su estructura de propiedad única y sus objetivos financieros y no financieros entrelazados, son ideales para estudiar cómo estos objetivos afectan las decisiones de innovación. Este estudio tiene como objetivo determinar si la colaboración tecnológica y el gasto en I+D interno tienen un mayor efecto en los procesos de innovación de las empresas familiares en comparación con las empresas no familiares. Utilizando datos de 2,415 empresas españolas durante diez años, esta investigación contribuye a la literatura integrando la perspectiva de la riqueza socioemocional y demostrando que las empresas familiares están mejor equipadas para implementar y beneficiarse de estas estrategias para mejorar los resultados de la innovación.
Open Access
Emprendimiento y empresa familiar: ¿dos disciplinas hermanas o distintas?
(Universidad de Deusto, 2023) Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Larraza Kintana, Martín; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
El emprendimiento y la empresa familiar ¿son dos disciplinas hermanas o distintas? Ambas son disciplinas con entidad propia, pero desde el inicio ambas han estado fuertemente conectadas. De hecho, las empresas familiares han sido consideradas como un elemento central del proceso emprendedor donde la influencia de la familia es particularmente relevante en las primeras etapas de la creación de la empresa. Sin embargo, la etapa inicial de estas empresas ha sido poco explorada. Este artículo tiene un doble objetivo. En primer lugar, proporciona una pequeña perspectiva histórica de la evolución de las dos disciplinas académicas y sus interrelaciones, y, en segundo lugar, trata de resumir las principales conclusiones de la escasa literatura sobre la perspectiva del arraigo familiar que estudia el binomio familia-emprendimiento. Por último, el trabajo propone diferentes líneas de investigación para futuros estudios relacionados con la empresa familiar y el emprendimiento.
Open Access
Absorptive capacity in family firms: exploring the role of the CEO
(Emerald, 2024) Garcés Galdeano, Lucía; Kotlar, Josip; Caicedo Leitón, Ana Lucía; Larraza Kintana, Martín; Frattini, Federico; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Purpose: Absorptive capacity (AC), the ability to leverage external knowledge for innovation, helps explain the mixed findings on family firms' innovation performance. Our research focuses on the CEO's role - whether family or non-family, and founding or later generation - in influencing AC. We also explore how firm size and environmental dynamism affect these relationships, offering insights into varying AC levels among family firms. Design/methodology/approach: OLS regression models were estimated to test the hypotheses using a sample of 364 family firms in Spain. Findings: Family firms¿ absorptive capacity is greater when the CEO is a family member, and even more so when the family CEO belongs to the founding family generation. While AC diminishes in larger family firms this effect is mitigated when the CEO is a family member. The predicted moderating effect of environmental dynamisms is not supported by the analyses. Originality: This paper adds insights about the drivers of heterogeneity in innovation among family firms, addressing recent calls for more nuanced views of how family members drive the strategic behavior of the business, and incorporating considerations of different types of family firms based on the identity of the firm CEO. The results overall support the theoretical claims, but also open up important questions for future studies.