IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ememar/v70y2026ics1566014125001621.html

Chairperson's intra-country migrant marriage and corporate R&D investment: Evidence from Chinese family firms

Author

Listed:
  • Chen, Yuan
  • He, Xiaogang

Abstract

Marriage can profoundly shape a chairperson's risk preferences and managerial capabilities. Drawing on social network theory and the theory of diversity cascades across organizational hierarchies, we investigate the impact of intra-country migrant marriage on family firms' research and development (R&D) investment. Analyzing panel data from Chinese family firms spanning 2008 to 2020 reveals that intra-country migrant marriage significantly increases R&D investment. However, this effect weakens under high market and policy uncertainties. Mechanism analysis supports both a direct effect through expanded social networks and an indirect effect via top management team diversity. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the effect weakens only when the chairperson's blood relatives are involved in the firm's management or in regions with well-developed labor markets, whereas it is more pronounced in regions characterized by advanced technology markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Yuan & He, Xiaogang, 2026. "Chairperson's intra-country migrant marriage and corporate R&D investment: Evidence from Chinese family firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:70:y:2026:i:c:s1566014125001621
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2025.101413
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566014125001621
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ememar.2025.101413?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

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aldrich, Howard E. & Cliff, Jennifer E., 2003. "The pervasive effects of family on entrepreneurship: toward a family embeddedness perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 573-596, September.
    2. Hua, Qian & Liu, Gang & Sun, Di & Zhu, Licai, 2022. "Spatial effects of technology market development on energy efficiency: Heterogeneity analysis based on the characteristics of technology market," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    3. Wanru Xiong, 2023. "Love is Elsewhere: Internal Migration and Marriage Prospects in China," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-29, December.
    4. Hegde, Shantaram P. & Mishra, Dev R., 2019. "Married CEOs and corporate social responsibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 226-246.
    5. Xu, Nianhang & Chen, Qinyuan & Xu, Yan & Chan, Kam C., 2016. "Political uncertainty and cash holdings: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 276-295.
    6. Alfredo De Massis & Shujun Ding & Josip Kotlar & Zhenyu Wu, 2018. "Family involvement and R&D expenses in the context of weak property rights protection: an examination of non-state-owned listed companies in China," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(16), pages 1506-1527, November.
    7. Amore, Mario Daniele & Miller, Danny & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle & Corbetta, Guido, 2017. "For love and money: Marital leadership in family firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 461-476.
    8. Ghosh, Dipankar & Olsen, Lori, 2009. "Environmental uncertainty and managers' use of discretionary accruals," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 188-205, February.
    9. Nianhang Xu & Kam C. Chan & Rongrong Xie & Qinyuan Chen & Sumit Agarwal, 2024. "The Impact of Family-Based Human Capital on Corporate Innovation: Evidence from Sibling-Chairpersons in China," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 70(10), pages 7062-7089, October.
    10. Joern Block & Christopher Hansen & Holger Steinmetz, 2023. "Are Family Firms Doing More Innovation Output With Less Innovation Input? A Replication and Extension," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1496-1520, July.
    11. James E. Rauch & Alessandra Casella, 2003. "Overcoming Informational Barriers to International Resource Allocation: Prices and Ties," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(484), pages 21-42, January.
    12. Hellman, Joel S. & Jones, Geraint & Kaufmann, Daniel, 2003. "Seize the state, seize the day: state capture and influence in transition economies," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 751-773, December.
    13. Joshua D. Coval & Tobias J. Moskowitz, 2001. "The Geography of Investment: Informed Trading and Asset Prices," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 109(4), pages 811-841, August.
    14. Fu, Yishu, 2020. "The impact of married couples on firm innovation: Evidence from Chinese family firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 33(C).
    15. Zhu, Zhenduo & Kang, Yuanfei, 2022. "A Far-Reaching Parental Love? Co-Governance of Intergenerational Succession and Innovation Activities in Chinese Family Firms," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 358-394, April.
    16. Svenja C. Sommer & Christoph H. Loch & Jing Dong, 2009. "Managing Complexity and Unforeseeable Uncertainty in Startup Companies: An Empirical Study," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 118-133, February.
    17. Aldrich, Howard E. & Brumana, Mara & Campopiano, Giovanna & Minola, Tommaso, 2021. "Embedded but not asleep: Entrepreneurship and family business research in the 21st century," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    18. An, Heng & Chen, Yanyan & Luo, Danglun & Zhang, Ting, 2016. "Political uncertainty and corporate investment: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 174-189.
    19. repec:ces:ceswps:_10969 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Weiwen Li & Garry D. Bruton & Xinchun Li & Shuang Wang, 2022. "Transgenerational Succession and R&D Investment: A Myopic Loss Aversion Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(1), pages 193-222, January.
    21. Sucheta Nadkarni & Pamela S. Barr, 2008. "Environmental context, managerial cognition, and strategic action: an integrated view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(13), pages 1395-1427, December.
    22. Antoniou, Constantinos & Cuculiza, Carina & Kumar, Alok & Yang, Lizhengbo, 2024. "It takes two to tango: Spousal risk preferences and CEO risk-taking behavior," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    23. Mack, Daniel Z. & Chen, Guoli & Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Lee, Yen Teik & George, Gerard, 2025. "Interfaces, social information processing, and diversity cascades: How board diversity influences invention output," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(1).
    24. Zhuo Chen & Prashant Kale & Robert E. Hoskisson, 2018. "Geographic overlap and acquisition pairing," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 329-355, February.
    25. Block, Joern H., 2012. "R&D investments in family and founder firms: An agency perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 248-265.
    26. Chen, Gongmeng & Firth, Michael & Gao, Daniel N. & Rui, Oliver M., 2006. "Ownership structure, corporate governance, and fraud: Evidence from China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 424-448, June.
    27. Miriam Bird & Thomas Zellweger, 2018. "Relational Embeddedness and Firm Growth: Comparing Spousal and Sibling Entrepreneurs," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 264-283, April.
    28. Oliver E. Williamson, 2000. "The New Institutional Economics: Taking Stock, Looking Ahead," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(3), pages 595-613, September.
    29. Chengxue Yao & Fan Jiang & Liang Guo, 2023. "Fixed investment or financial assets investment: Evidence from political uncertainty in China," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(1), pages 427-450, March.
    30. Chenjian Zhang, 2022. "Formal and informal institutional legacies and inward foreign direct investment into firms: Evidence from China," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(6), pages 1228-1256, August.
    31. William S. Schulze & Michael H. Lubatkin & Richard N. Dino & Ann K. Buchholtz, 2001. "Agency Relationships in Family Firms: Theory and Evidence," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 99-116, April.
    32. Hicheon Kim & Heechun Kim & Peggy M. Lee, 2008. "Ownership Structure and the Relationship Between Financial Slack and R&D Investments: Evidence from Korean Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(3), pages 404-418, June.
    33. Khaw, Karren Lee-Hwei & Wei, Yi & Ma, Shiyue, 2025. "Family firms and risk taking: Does the integration of ESG practices matter?," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    34. Patricio Duran & Nadine Kammerlander & Marc van Essen & Thomas Zellweger, 2016. "Doing More with Less : Innovation Input and Output in Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02312103, HAL.
    35. Shi, Xin & Hou, Jingru & Gu, Qiankun, 2023. "In-laws’ involvement in management and tax avoidance: Evidence from family firms in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    36. Bae, Kee-Hong & Stulz, René M. & Tan, Hongping, 2008. "Do local analysts know more? A cross-country study of the performance of local analysts and foreign analysts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(3), pages 581-606, June.
    37. 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.
    38. Arora, Ashish & Athreye, Suma & Huang, Can, 2016. "The paradox of openness revisited: Collaborative innovation and patenting by UK innovators," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 1352-1361.
    39. Patricio Duran & Nadine Kammerlander & Marc van Essen & Thomas Zellweger, 2016. "Doing More with Less : Innovation Input and Output in Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02276703, HAL.
    40. Alain Verbeke & Liena Kano, 2012. "The Transaction Cost Economics Theory of the Family Firm: Family–Based Human Asset Specificity and the Bifurcation Bias," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1183-1205, November.
    41. Sarath Balachandran & Exequiel Hernandez, 2021. "Mi Casa Es Tu Casa: Immigrant Entrepreneurs as Pathways to Foreign Venture Capital Investments," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(11), pages 2047-2083, November.
    42. Agostino Vollero & Alfonso Siano & Maddalena Della Volpe, 2019. "A Systems Perspective for Conceptualizing Sustainability in Long‐lived Family Businesses. Research Proposals on Risk Taking and Innovativeness," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(1), pages 111-127, February.
    43. Aurora Genin & Wenting Ma & Vineet Bhagwat & Gennaro Bernile, 2023. "Board experiential diversity and corporate radical innovation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(11), pages 2634-2657, November.
    44. Chen, Yaozhi & Wei, Honghong, 2025. "Overseas experience and corporate innovation: Second-generation successors in family enterprises," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    45. Lu, Feifei & Huang, Xu & Xu, Erica & Chung, Chi-Nien & He, Xiaogang, 2022. "Instrumental Love: Political Marriage and Family Firm Growth," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 279-318, April.
    46. Craig, Justin B. & Dibrell, Clay & Garrett, Robert, 2014. "Examining relationships among family influence, family culture, flexible planning systems, innovativeness and firm performance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 229-238.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Xie, Peijun & Wang, Jian & Tang, Shiyi & Shahzadi, Irum & Bilan, Yuriy, 2025. "How does intergenerational transmission affect green innovation? Evidence from Chinese family businesses," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 158-169.
    2. Wen-Ting Lin & Linda C. Wang, 2021. "Family firms, R&D, and internationalization: the stewardship and socio-emotional wealth perspectives," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 91-119, March.
    3. D’Angelo, Valentino & Amore, Mario Daniele & Minichilli, Alessandro & Chen, Kelly Xing & Solarino, Angelo Maria, 2023. "Family agents," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    4. Jin-hui Luo & Xue Li & Linda C. Wang & Yue Liu, 2021. "Owner type, pyramidal structure and R&D Investment in China’s family firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 38(3), pages 1085-1111, September.
    5. Francesco Chirico & Giuseppe Criaco & Massimo Baù & Lucia Naldi & Luis R. Gomez-Mejia & Josip Kotlar, 2020. "To patent or not to patent: That is the question. Intellectual property protection in family firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(2), pages 339-367, March.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. Arzubiaga, Unai & Kotlar, Josip & De Massis, Alfredo & Maseda, Amaia & Iturralde, Txomin, 2018. "Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation in family SMEs: Unveiling the (actual) impact of the Board of Directors," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 455-469.
    9. Min, Byung-seong, 2021. "Heterogeneity of R&D in family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 88-95.
    10. Yunshi Liu & Yi-Jung Chen & Linda C. Wang, 2017. "Family business, innovation and organizational slack in Taiwan," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 193-213, March.
    11. Paolo Capolupo & Lorenzo Ardito & Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli & Nadine Kammerlander & Alfredo De Massis, 2025. "Digital Product Innovation Within Family Firms: A Construal Level Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 49(2), pages 539-570, March.
    12. 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.
    13. Hussinger, Katrin & Issah, Wunnam Basit, 2025. "Patents, trade secrets and performance aspirations in family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    14. Hussingera, Katrin & Issahd, Wunnam, 2022. "Trade secret protection and R&D investment of family firms," ZEW Discussion Papers 22-039, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    15. Sherlock, Chelsea & Dibrell, Clay & Memili, Esra, 2023. "The impact of family commitment on firm innovativeness: The mediating role of resource stocks," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3).
    16. Katrin Hussinger & Wunnam Basit Issah, 2022. "Trade Secret Protection and R&D Investment of Family Firms," DEM Discussion Paper Series 22-11, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    17. Yao, Shouyu & Zhao, Weijia & Sensoy, Ahmet & Cheng, Feiyang & Goodell, John W., 2021. "The dark side of marital leadership: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    18. Ardito, Lorenzo & Miroshnychenko, Ivan & Messeni Petruzzelli, Antonio & De Massis, Alfredo, 2025. "Family CEO and radical innovation: A stewardship perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(1).
    19. 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.
    20. María del Pilar Casado-Belmonte & María de las Mercedes Capobianco-Uriarte & Rubén Martínez-Alonso & María J. Martínez-Romero, 2021. "Delineating the Path of Family Firm Innovation: Mapping the Scientific Structure," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2455-2499, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ememar:v:70:y:2026:i:c:s1566014125001621. 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/locate/inca/620356 .

    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.