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Unraveling the impact of family antecedents on family firm image: A serial multiple-mediation model

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  • Van Gils, Anita
  • Huybrechts, Jolien
  • Minola, Tommaso
  • Cassia, Lucio

Abstract

While revealing a family firm’s identity can enhance the firm’s appeal to customers and employees and positively affect firm performance, many family firms decide not to portray a family firm image. Until now, we have not had a clear understanding of the factors that determine whether family businesses intentionally project their family firm identity to their external stakeholders. As this decision may affect a family firm’s competitive positioning and its prospects for continuity, it is important to understand the family logic within this decision-making process. Building on stakeholder theory arguments, we examine how family-related factors (e.g., family involvement, transgenerational succession intention and family-centered noneconomic goals) influence the extent to which a dominant family coalition leverages its family image on the company’s website. Our results, which originate from survey research and content analysis of the websites of 340 Dutch family firms, reveal the mechanisms that regulate this process. In particular, we show that transgenerational succession intention and family-centered noneconomic goals serially and double mediate the family involvement–family firm image relationship.

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  • Van Gils, Anita & Huybrechts, Jolien & Minola, Tommaso & Cassia, Lucio, 2019. "Unraveling the impact of family antecedents on family firm image: A serial multiple-mediation model," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(1), pages 17-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:10:y:2019:i:1:p:17-27
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.02.001
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    4. Unai Arzubiaga & Alfredo De Massis & Amaia Maseda & Txomin Iturralde, 2023. "The influence of family firm image on access to financial resources in family SMEs: a signaling theory perspective," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 233-258, January.
    5. Temprano-García, Víctor & Pérez-Fernández, Hector & Rodríguez-Pinto, Javier & Rodríguez-Escudero, Ana Isabel & Barros-Contreras, Ismael, 2023. "How to build a brand-oriented family firm: The impact of socioemotional wealth (SEW) dimensions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    6. Frank Lambrechts & Jolien Huybrechts & Alfredo Massis & Erik E. Lehmann, 2023. "The “open family firm”: openness as boundary work in family enterprises," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1307-1322, April.
    7. Brinkerink, Jasper & Rondi, Emanuela & Benedetti, Carlotta & Arzubiaga, Unai, 2020. "Family business or business family? Organizational identity elasticity and strategic responses to disruptive innovation," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).
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