IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/fambus/v14y2023i3s1877858522000560.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why are non-family employees intrapreneurially active in family firms? A multiple case study

Author

Listed:
  • Köhn, Philipp
  • Ruf, Philipp Julian
  • Moog, Petra

Abstract

This study sheds light on the intrapreneurial motivation of non-family employees in family firms. Although family involvement is known to enhance workforce motivation to contribute innovative ideas toward the firm’s improvement, what motivates non-family employees in family firms and the role the enterprising family plays therein remain underexplored. Therefore, we conduct a multiple case study using a dyadic sample of interviews with owner-managers and non-family employees in nine German family firms. The cross-case analysis shows that in firms with strong enterprising family influence, the identification of non-family employees is heightened, intrinsically motivating them to become intrapreneurially active. Our findings also reveal that in family firms with reduced enterprising family influence, this intrinsic motivation decreases. Furthermore, we observe the establishment of certain business mechanisms in these firms aimed at fostering the extrinsic motivation of non-family employees.

Suggested Citation

  • Köhn, Philipp & Ruf, Philipp Julian & Moog, Petra, 2023. "Why are non-family employees intrapreneurially active in family firms? A multiple case study," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(3).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:14:y:2023:i:3:s1877858522000560
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2022.100532
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858522000560
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfbs.2022.100532?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. Fariborz Damanpour & Shanthi Gopalakrishnan, 2001. "The Dynamics of the Adoption of Product and Process Innovations in Organizations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(1), pages 45-65, January.
    2. Raj V. Mahto & Peter S. Davis & John A. Pearce II & Richard B. Robinson Jr., 2010. "Satisfaction with Firm Performance in Family Businesses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(5), pages 985-1002, September.
    3. David L. Deephouse & Peter Jaskiewicz, 2013. "Do Family Firms Have Better Reputations Than Non-Family Firms? An Integration of Socioemotional Wealth and Social Identity Theories," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(3), pages 337-360, May.
    4. Antoncic, Bostjan & Hisrich, Robert D., 2001. "Intrapreneurship: Construct refinement and cross-cultural validation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 495-527, September.
    5. Michael Hitt & M. Tina Dacin & Edward Levitas & Jean-Luc Arregle & Anca Borza, 2000. "Partner Selection in Emerging and Developed Market Contexts : Resource-Based and Organizational Learning Perspectives," Post-Print hal-02276706, HAL.
    6. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz W. Kellermanns & Thomas M. Zellweger, 2012. "Exploring the Entrepreneurial Behavior of Family Firms: Does the Stewardship Perspective Explain Differences?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(2), pages 347-367, March.
    7. Laurie P. Milton, 2008. "Unleashing the Relationship Power of Family Firms: Identity Confirmation as a Catalyst for Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 1063-1081, November.
    8. Carmelo Cennamo & Pascual Berrone & Cristina Cruz & Luis R. Gomez–Mejia, 2012. "Socioemotional Wealth and Proactive Stakeholder Engagement: Why Family–Controlled Firms Care More about their Stakeholders," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1153-1173, November.
    9. Matherne, Curtis & Waterwall, Brian & Ring, J. Kirk & Credo, Keith, 2017. "Beyond organizational identification: The legitimization and robustness of family identification in the family firm," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 170-184.
    10. Sieger, Philipp & Bernhard, Fabian & Frey, Urs, 2011. "Affective commitment and job satisfaction among non-family employees: Investigating the roles of justice perceptions and psychological ownership," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 78-89, June.
    11. Jeffrey G. Covin & William J. Wales, 2012. "The Measurement of Entrepreneurial Orientation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(4), pages 677-702, July.
    12. Nicolas Classen & Martin Carree & Anita Gils & Bettina Peters, 2014. "Innovation in family and non-family SMEs: an exploratory analysis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 42(3), pages 595-609, March.
    13. Maria Jesus Nieto & Lluis Santamaria & Zulima Fernandez, 2015. "Understanding the Innovation Behavior of Family Firms," Journal of Small Business Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(2), pages 382-399, April.
    14. Laura E. Marler & Laura J. Stanley, 2018. "Commentary: Who Are Your Friends? The Influence of Identification and Family In-Group and Out-Group Friendships on Nonfamily Employee OCB and Deviance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(2), pages 310-316, March.
    15. Jean‐Luc Arregle & Michael A. Hitt & David G. Sirmon & Philippe Very, 2007. "The Development of Organizational Social Capital: Attributes of Family Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 73-95, January.
    16. repec:cup:jfinqa:v:46:y:2011:i:06:p:1545-1580_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. 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.
    18. Johanna Raitis & Innan Sasaki & Josip Kotlar, 2021. "System‐Spanning Values Work and Entrepreneurial Growth in Family Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 104-134, January.
    19. 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.
    20. James J. Chrisman & Esra Memili & Kaustav Misra, 2014. "Nonfamily Managers, Family Firms, and the Winner's Curse: The Influence of Noneconomic Goals and Bounded Rationality," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(5), pages 1-25, September.
    21. Christine Blanka, 2019. "An individual-level perspective on intrapreneurship: a review and ways forward," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 919-961, November.
    22. Kimberly A. Eddleston & James J. Chrisman & Lloyd P. Steier & Jess H. Chua, 2010. "Governance and Trust in Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(6), pages 1043-1056, November.
    23. Eleni Stavrou & George Kassinis & Alexis Filotheou, 2007. "Downsizing and Stakeholder Orientation Among the Fortune 500: Does Family Ownership Matter?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 149-162, May.
    24. Jaskiewicz, Peter & Combs, James G. & Rau, Sabine B., 2015. "Entrepreneurial legacy: Toward a theory of how some family firms nurture transgenerational entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 29-49.
    25. Zahra, Shaker A., 1991. "Predictors and financial outcomes of corporate entrepreneurship: An exploratory study," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 259-285, July.
    26. De Massis, Alfredo & Kotlar, Josip & Campopiano, Giovanna & Cassia, Lucio, 2013. "Dispersion of family ownership and the performance of small-to-medium size private family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 166-175.
    27. Tim Barnett & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2006. "Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees’ Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 837-854, November.
    28. Bjørn Willy Åmo & Lars Kolvereid, 2005. "Organizational Strategy, Individual Personality And Innovation Behavior," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(01), pages 7-19.
    29. Carmon, Anna F. & Miller, Amy N. & Raile, Amber N.W. & Roers, Michelle M., 2010. "Fusing family and firm: Employee perceptions of perceived homophily, organizational justice, organizational identification, and organizational commitment in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 210-223, December.
    30. James M. Vardaman & David G. Allen & Bryan L. Rogers, 2018. "We Are Friends but Are We Family? Organizational Identification and Nonfamily Employee Turnover," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(2), pages 290-309, March.
    31. 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.
    32. Tommaso Minola & Nadine Kammerlander & Franz W. Kellermanns & Frank Hoy, 2021. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Family Business: Learning Across Domains," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 1-26, January.
    33. Ayyagari, Meghana & Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Maksimovic, Vojislav, 2011. "Firm Innovation in Emerging Markets: The Role of Finance, Governance, and Competition," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(6), pages 1545-1580, December.
    34. Ronald C. Anderson & David M. Reeb, 2003. "Founding-Family Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from the S&P 500," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(3), pages 1301-1327, June.
    35. 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.
    36. Dibrell, Clay & Moeller, Miriam, 2011. "The impact of a service-dominant focus strategy and stewardship culture on organizational innovativeness in family-owned businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 43-51, March.
    37. Danny Miller & Jangwoo Lee & Sooduck Chang & Isabelle Le Breton-Miller, 2009. "Filling the institutional void: The social behavior and performance of family vs non-family technology firms in emerging markets," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 40(5), pages 802-817, June.
    38. 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.
    39. Jeffrey G. Covin & Morgan P. Miles, 1999. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and the Pursuit of Competitive Advantage," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(3), pages 47-63, April.
    40. Petra C. M. Neessen & Marjolein C. J. Caniëls & Bart Vos & Jeroen P. Jong, 2019. "The intrapreneurial employee: toward an integrated model of intrapreneurship and research agenda," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 545-571, June.
    41. Olson, Patricia D. & Zuiker, Virginia S. & Danes, Sharon M. & Stafford, Kathryn & Heck, Ramona K. Z. & Duncan, Karen A., 2003. "The impact of the family and the business on family business sustainability," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 639-666, September.
    42. Ronald C. Anderson & David M. Reeb, 2003. "Founding‐Family Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from the S&P 500," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 58(3), pages 1301-1328, June.
    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. Sondos G. Abdelgawad & Shaker A. Zahra, 2020. "Family Firms’ Religious Identity and Strategic Renewal," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 775-787, May.
    2. 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).
    3. 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.
    4. Elsbach, Kimberly D. & Pieper, Torsten M., 2019. "How psychological needs motivate family firm identifications and identifiers: A framework and future research agenda," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 1-1.
    5. Astrachan, Joseph H., 2010. "Strategy in family business: Toward a multidimensional research agenda," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 6-14, March.
    6. Tsao, Chiung-Wen & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle & Miller, Danny & Chen, Shyh-Jer, 2021. "Firing managers: The benefits of family ownership and costs of family management," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    7. Rau, Sabine B. & Werner, Arndt & Schell, Sabrina, 2019. "Psychological ownership as a driving factor of innovation in older family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(4).
    8. Hanqing “Chevy†Fang & James J. Chrisman & Daniel T. Holt, 2021. "Strategic Persistence in Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 931-950, July.
    9. Arndt Werner & Christian Schröder & Simone Chlosta, 2018. "Driving factors of innovation in family and non-family SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 201-218, January.
    10. Lee, Tingko, 2019. "Management ties and firm performance: Influence of family governance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 105-118.
    11. Julia K. de Groote & Werner Conrad & Andreas Hack, 2021. "How can family businesses survive disruptive industry changes? Insights from the traditional mail order industry," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2239-2273, November.
    12. Criaco, Giuseppe & van Oosterhout, J. (Hans) & Nordqvist, Mattias, 2021. "Is blood always thicker than water? Family firm parents, kinship ties, and the survival of spawns," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(6).
    13. Matthias Filser & Alexander Brem & Johanna Gast & Sascha Kraus & Andrea Calabrò, 2016. "Innovation In Family Firms — Examining The Inventory And Mapping The Path," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(06), pages 1-39, August.
    14. Fernando Muñoz-Bullón & Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno & Alfredo De Massis, 2020. "Combining Internal and External R&D: The Effects on Innovation Performance in Family and Nonfamily Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(5), pages 996-1031, September.
    15. Alfredo De Massis & Josip Kotlar & Pietro Mazzola & Tommaso Minola & Salvatore Sciascia, 2018. "Conflicting Selves: Family Owners' Multiple Goals and Self-Control Agency Problems in Private Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(3), pages 362-389, May.
    16. 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.
    17. Waterwall, Brian & Alipour, Kent K., 2021. "Nonfamily employees’ perceptions of treatment in family businesses: Implications for organizational attraction, job pursuit intentions, work attitudes, and turnover intentions," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    18. McGuire, Jean & Dow, Sandra & Ibrahim, Bakr, 2012. "All in the family? Social performance and corporate governance in the family firm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(11), pages 1643-1650.
    19. Jelle Schepers & Wim Voordeckers & Tensie Steijvers & Eddy Laveren, 2014. "The entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship in private family firms: the moderating role of socioemotional wealth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 39-55, June.
    20. Dmitry Khanin & Atanu Rakshit & Raj V. Mahto & William C. McDowell, 2020. "An Ongoing race: family CEOs vs. non-family CEOs," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1043-1063, September.

    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:14:y:2023:i:3:s1877858522000560. 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.