IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/fambus/v11y2020i1s1877858518302079.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Goal complexity in family firm diversification: Evidence from China

Author

Listed:
  • Dou, Junsheng
  • Wang, Ning
  • Su, Emma
  • Fang, Hanqing
  • Memili, Esra

Abstract

Drawing upon goal setting theory with a focus on goal hierarchy and goal inconsistency, this study investigates complex relationships among various socioemotional wealth goals in the context of family firm diversification. Using bootstrapping technique, we empirically analyzed a sample of 367 family-owned private firms in China. This study yields two important insights. First, maintaining family control of the firm is the most fundamental (lower-order) goal in the goal hierarchy, and intra-family succession intention and emotional attachment goals come into effect only when the owning family has substantial control over the business. Second, intra-family succession intention and emotional attachment have differential (inconsistent) effects on a family firm’s diversification. This study makes important theoretical contributions to the family business literature by highlighting the complex relationships underlying the various SEW goals. We also provide practical implications for family business advisors and owners.

Suggested Citation

  • Dou, Junsheng & Wang, Ning & Su, Emma & Fang, Hanqing & Memili, Esra, 2020. "Goal complexity in family firm diversification: Evidence from China," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(1).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:11:y:2020:i:1:s1877858518302079
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.100310
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858518302079
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfbs.2019.100310?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Phan, Phillip H. & Wright, Mike & Ucbasaran, Deniz & Tan, Wee-Liang, 2009. "Corporate entrepreneurship: Current research and future directions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 197-205, May.
    2. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz Willi Kellermanns & Ravi Sarathy, 2008. "Resource Configuration in Family Firms: Linking Resources, Strategic Planning and Technological Opportunities to Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 26-50, January.
    3. Luis Gomez-Mejia & Cristina Cruz & Claudia Imperatore, 2014. "Financial Reporting and the Protection of Socioemotional Wealth in Family-Controlled Firms," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(3), pages 387-402, September.
    4. Jacquemin, Alexis P & Berry, Charles H, 1979. "Entropy Measure of Diversification and Corporate Growth," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(4), pages 359-369, June.
    5. Zellweger, Thomas & Sieger, Philipp & Halter, Frank, 2011. "Should I stay or should I go? Career choice intentions of students with family business background," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 521-536, September.
    6. Toru Yoshikawa & Phillip H. Phan, 2005. "The Effects of Ownership and Capital Structure on Board Composition and Strategic Diversification in Japanese Corporations," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(2), pages 303-312, March.
    7. Kevin Au & Flora Chiang & Thomas Birtch & Zhujun Ding, 2013. "Incubating the next generation to venture: The case of a family business in Hong Kong," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 749-767, September.
    8. Gwendolyn K. Lee & Marvin B. Lieberman, 2010. "Acquisition vs. internal development as modes of market entry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 140-158, February.
    9. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Alfredo De Massis, 2015. "A Closer Look at Socioemotional Wealth: Its Flows, Stocks, and Prospects for Moving Forward," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 173-182, March.
    10. Nathan L. Hammond & Allison W. Pearson & Daniel T. Holt, 2016. "The Quagmire of Legacy in Family Firms: Definition and Implications of Family and Family Firm Legacy Orientations," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(6), pages 1209-1231, November.
    11. Morgan, Timothy J. & Gomez-Mejia, Luis R., 2014. "Hooked on a feeling: The affective component of socioemotional wealth in family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 280-288.
    12. Yiyi Su & Dean Xu & Phillip H. Phan, 2008. "Principal–Principal Conflict in the Governance of the Chinese Public Corporation," Management and Organization Review, The International Association for Chinese Management Research, vol. 4(1), pages 17-38, March.
    13. Vazquez, Pedro & Rocha, Héctor, 2018. "On the goals of family firms: A review and integration," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 94-106.
    14. Chua, Jess H. & Chrisman, James J. & De Massis, Alfredo & Wang, Hao, 2018. "Reflections on family firm goals and the assessment of performance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 107-113.
    15. David G. Sirmon & Michael A. Hitt, 2003. "Managing Resources: Linking Unique Resources, Management, and Wealth Creation in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 339-358, October.
    16. Weiwen Li & Ai He & Hailin Lan & Daphne Yiu, 2012. "Political connections and corporate diversification in emerging economies: Evidence from China," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(3), pages 799-818, September.
    17. Luis R. Gomez–Mejia & Joanna Tochman Campbell & Geoffrey Martin & Robert E. Hoskisson & Marianna Makri & David G. Sirmon, 2014. "Socioemotional Wealth as a Mixed Gamble: Revisiting Family Firm R&D Investments with the Behavioral Agency Model," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1351-1374, November.
    18. William S. Schulze & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2015. "Reifying Socioemotional Wealth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 447-459, May.
    19. Franz W. Kellermanns & Kimberly A. Eddleston, 2004. "Feuding Families: When Conflict Does a Family Firm Good," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(3), pages 209-228, May.
    20. James M. Vardaman & Maria B. Gondo, 2014. "Socioemotional Wealth Conflict in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1317-1322, November.
    21. Pramodita Sharma & James J. Chrisman, 1999. "Toward a Reconciliation of the Definitional Issues in the Field of Corporate Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(3), pages 11-28, April.
    22. Frank Hoy & Trudy G. Verser, 1994. "Emerging Business, Emerging Field: Entrepreneurship and the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 19(1), pages 9-23, October.
    23. William Acar & Kizhekepat Sankaran, 1999. "The myth of the unique decomposability: specializing the Herfindahl and entropy measures?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(10), pages 969-975, October.
    24. Sciascia, Salvatore & Mazzola, Pietro & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2014. "Family management and profitability in private family-owned firms: Introducing generational stage and the socioemotional wealth perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 131-137.
    25. Heechun Kim & Robert E. Hoskisson & Seung-Hyun Lee, 2015. "Why strategic factor markets matter: “New” multinationals' geographic diversification and firm profitability," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 518-536, April.
    26. Danny Miller & Isabelle Le Breton‐Miller & Richard H. Lester, 2010. "Family ownership and acquisition behavior in publicly‐traded companies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(2), pages 201-223, February.
    27. Anderson, Ronald C & Reeb, David M, 2003. "Founding-Family Ownership, Corporate Diversification, and Firm Leverage," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 46(2), pages 653-684, October.
    28. Michael J. Prietula & Harry S. Watson, 2000. "Extending the Cyert-March Duopoly Model: Organizational and Economic Insights," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(5), pages 565-585, October.
    29. Andres, Christian, 2008. "Large shareholders and firm performance--An empirical examination of founding-family ownership," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(4), pages 431-445, September.
    30. Dwyer, Peggy D. & Gilkeson, James H. & List, John A., 2002. "Gender differences in revealed risk taking: evidence from mutual fund investors," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 151-158, July.
    31. Dean Xu & Changhui Zhou & Phillip H Phan, 2010. "A real options perspective on sequential acquisitions in China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(1), pages 166-174, January.
    32. Su, Yiyi & Xu, Dean & Phan, Phillip H., 2008. "Principal—Principal Conflict in the Governance of the Chinese Public Corporation," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(1), pages 17-38, March.
    33. Hanqinq “Chevy†Fang & Robert V.D.G. Randolph & Esra Memili & James J. Chrisman, 2016. "Does Size Matter? The Moderating Effects of Firm Size on the Employment of Nonfamily Managers in Privately Held Family SMEs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(5), pages 1017-1039, September.
    34. Srivastava, Abhishek & Lee, Hun, 2005. "Predicting order and timing of new product moves: the role of top management in corporate entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 20(4), pages 459-481, July.
    35. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Franz Kellermanns, 2009. "Priorities, Resource Stocks, and Performance in Family and Nonfamily Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(3), pages 739-760, May.
    36. Hauck, Jana & Prügl, Reinhard, 2015. "Innovation activities during intra-family leadership succession in family firms: An empirical study from a socioemotional wealth perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 104-118.
    37. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Pramodita Sharma, 1999. "Defining the Family Business by Behavior," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(4), pages 19-39, July.
    38. Vanessa M. Strike & Pascual Berrone & Stephen G. Sapp & Lorenzo Congiu, 2015. "A Socioemotional Wealth Approach to CEO Career Horizons in Family Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(4), pages 555-583, June.
    39. Eric Gedajlovic & Michael Carney, 2010. "Markets, Hierarchies, and Families: Toward a Transaction Cost Theory of the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(6), pages 1145-1172, November.
    40. Huang,Yasheng, 2008. "Capitalism with Chinese Characteristics," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521898102.
    41. Kleine, Susan Schultz & Kleine, Robert E, III & Allen, Chris T, 1995. "How Is a Possession "Me" or "Not Me"? Characterizing Types and an Antecedent of Material Possession Attachment," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 22(3), pages 327-343, December.
    42. Pramodita Sharma & P. Gregory Irving, 2005. "Four Bases of Family Business Successor Commitment: Antecedents and Consequences," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(1), pages 13-33, January.
    43. Nason, Robert S. & Carney, Michael & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle & Miller, Danny, 2019. "Who cares about socioemotional wealth? SEW and rentier perspectives on the one percent wealthiest business households," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 144-158.
    44. Thomas M. Zellweger & Robert S. Nason & Mattias Nordqvist & Candida G. Brush, 2013. "Why Do Family Firms Strive for Nonfinancial Goals? An Organizational Identity Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(2), pages 229-248, March.
    45. Thomas M. Zellweger & Franz W. Kellermanns & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua, 2012. "Family Control and Family Firm Valuation by Family CEOs: The Importance of Intentions for Transgenerational Control," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 851-868, June.
    46. Robert Liden, 2012. "Leadership research in Asia: A brief assessment and suggestions for the future," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 205-212, June.
    47. Luis R. Gomez‐Mejia & Marianna Makri & Martin Larraza Kintana, 2010. "Diversification Decisions in Family‐Controlled Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(2), pages 223-252, March.
    48. Ralph I. Williams & Torsten M. Pieper & Franz W. Kellermanns & Joseph H. Astrachan, 2019. "Family business goal formation: a literature review and discussion of alternative algorithms," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 69(3), pages 329-349, September.
    49. Miller, Danny & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle & Lester, Richard H. & Cannella Jr., Albert A., 2007. "Are family firms really superior performers?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 829-858, December.
    50. Niron Hashai, 2015. "Within-industry diversification and firm performance—an S-shaped hypothesis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(9), pages 1378-1400, September.
    51. Robert A. Burgelman, 1983. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management: Insights from a Process Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(12), pages 1349-1364, December.
    52. W. Gibb Dyer Jr. & David A. Whetten, 2006. "Family Firms and Social Responsibility: Preliminary Evidence from the S&P 500," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 785-802, November.
    53. Chua, Jess H. & Chrisman, James J. & Kellermanns, Franz & Wu, Zhenyu, 2011. "Family involvement and new venture debt financing," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 472-488, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Laffranchini, Giacomo & Hadjimarcou, John & Kim, Si Hyun, 2022. "The first turnaround response of family firms in a crisis situation," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1).
    2. Cambrea, Domenico Rocco & Ponomareva, Yuliya & Pittino, Daniel & Minichilli, Alessandro, 2022. "Strings attached: Socioemotional wealth mixed gambles in the cash management choices of family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3).
    3. Marie Mikušová & Václav Friedrich & Petra Horváthová, 2020. "Who is More Sustainable? Family Business or Non-Family Business? Czech Evidence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-26, July.
    4. Hanqing “Chevy” Fang & Kulraj Singh & Taewoo Kim & Laura Marler & James J. Chrisman, 2022. "Family business research in Asia: review and future directions," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 1215-1256, December.
    5. Chen, Shihui & Wu, Bingde & Liao, Zhongju & Chen, Ling, 2022. "Does familial decision control affect the entrepreneurial orientation of family firms? The moderating role of family relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 60-69.
    6. Atar Benismael & Mohamed Nabil El mabrouki, 2023. "Thirty Years of Research on Succession in the Field of Family Business: A Bibliometric Analysis," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 17(1), pages 1-88, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Barros, Ismael & Hernangómez, Juan & Martin-Cruz, Natalia, 2016. "A theoretical model of strategic management of family firms. A dynamic capabilities approach," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 149-159.
    2. Geoffrey Martin & Luis R. Gómez–Mejía & Pascual Berrone & Marianna Makri, 2017. "Conflict between Controlling Family Owners and Minority Shareholders: Much Ado about Nothing?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 999-1027, November.
    3. Cambrea, Domenico Rocco & Ponomareva, Yuliya & Pittino, Daniel & Minichilli, Alessandro, 2022. "Strings attached: Socioemotional wealth mixed gambles in the cash management choices of family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(3).
    4. Ulrich Lichtenthaler & Miriam Muethel, 2012. "Retracted: The Impact of Family Involvement on Dynamic Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from German Manufacturing Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1235-1253, November.
    5. Melanie Richards, 2023. "When do Non-financial Goals Benefit Stakeholders? Theorizing on Care and Power in Family Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(2), pages 333-351, May.
    6. Schickinger, Antonia & Bierl, Philipp A. & Leitterstorf, Max P. & Kammerlander, Nadine, 2023. "Family-related goals, entrepreneurial investment behavior, and governance mechanisms of single family offices: An exploratory study," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    7. Xueru Yang & Jun Li & Laura J. Stanley & Franz W. Kellermanns & Xinchun Li, 2020. "How family firm characteristics affect internationalization of Chinese family SMEs," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 417-448, June.
    8. Davila, Jessenia & Duran, Patricio & Gómez-Mejía, Luis & Sanchez-Bueno, Maria J., 2023. "Socioemotional wealth and family firm performance: A meta-analytic integration," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    9. Hauck, Jana & Suess-Reyes, Julia & Beck, Susanne & Prügl, Reinhard & Frank, Hermann, 2016. "Measuring socioemotional wealth in family-owned and -managed firms: A validation and short form of the FIBER Scale," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 133-148.
    10. Hafner, Cornelius & Pidun, Ulrich, 2022. "Getting family firm diversification right: A configurational perspective on product and international diversification strategies," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(1).
    11. Ivan Miroshnychenko & Alfredo De Massis & Danny Miller & Roberto Barontini, 2021. "Family Business Growth Around the World," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 682-708, July.
    12. César Camisón-Zornoza & Beatriz Forés-Julián & Alba Puig-Denia & Sergio Camisón-Haba, 0. "Effects of ownership structure and corporate and family governance on dynamic capabilities in family firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-34.
    13. Min, Byung-seong, 2021. "Heterogeneity of R&D in family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 88-95.
    14. César Camisón-Zornoza & Beatriz Forés-Julián & Alba Puig-Denia & Sergio Camisón-Haba, 2020. "Effects of ownership structure and corporate and family governance on dynamic capabilities in family firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 1393-1426, December.
    15. Francesco Chirico & Dianne H. B. Welsh & R. Duane Ireland & Philipp Sieger, 2021. "Family versus Non‐Family Firm Franchisors: Behavioural and Performance Differences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 165-200, January.
    16. Alexandra Bertschi-Michel & Philipp Sieger & Thomas Wittig & Andreas Hack, 2023. "Sacrifice, Protect, and Hope for the Best: Family Ownership, Turnaround Moves, and Crisis Survival," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1132-1168, July.
    17. William S. Schulze & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2015. "Reifying Socioemotional Wealth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 447-459, May.
    18. Michael Carney & Marc Van Essen & Eric R. Gedajlovic & Pursey P.M.A.R. Heugens, 2015. "What do we know about Private Family Firms? A Meta–Analytical Review," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(3), pages 513-544, May.
    19. Smith, Celina & Nordqvist, Mattias & De Massis, Alfredo & Miller, Danny, 2021. "When so much is at stake: Understanding organizational brinkmanship in family business," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(4).
    20. Cornelius Hafner, 2021. "Diversification in family firms: a systematic review of product and international diversification strategies," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 529-572, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:11:y:2020:i:1:s1877858518302079. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/719791/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.