IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/asiapa/v30y2013i3p749-767.html

Incubating the next generation to venture: The case of a family business in Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Kevin Au

  • Flora Chiang

  • Thomas Birtch

  • Zhujun Ding

Abstract

Many Chinese family businesses face the dilemma of building good operating and governance structures and systems while fostering an entrepreneurial spirit across generations. In this study, we explored trans-generational entrepreneurship in Automatic Manufacturing Ltd. (AML), a Hong Kong SME, to shed light on this problem. The first generation founded the company and chose a unique development path that emphasized quality, innovation, and learning before grooming a cadre of professional managers. To continue the family entrepreneurial spirit, AML used the “familiness” resources embodied within the family and its business to incubate the second generation. To test the wings of the second generation as entrepreneurs and then lure them back to AML to take over the responsibilities of the first generation, a unique succession plan nurturing spin-offs by the second generation was developed and implemented. Such a systematic approach, although still under experimentation, has the potential to become best practice for other family businesses. The implications of this approach for research in portfolio entrepreneurship and open innovation are also discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:asiapa:v:30:y:2013:i:3:p:749-767
    DOI: 10.1007/s10490-012-9331-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10490-012-9331-7
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10490-012-9331-7?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. Johan Wiklund & Dean A. Shepherd, 2008. "Portfolio Entrepreneurship: Habitual and Novice Founders, New Entry, and Mode of Organizing," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(4), pages 701-725, July.
    2. Ostgaard, Tone A. & Birley, Sue, 1996. "New venture growth and personal networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 37-50, May.
    3. 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.
    4. Nancy Upton & William Petty, 2000. "Venture capital investment and US family business," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 27-39, January.
    5. Claessens, Stijn & Djankov, Simeon & Lang, Larry H. P., 2000. "The separation of ownership and control in East Asian Corporations," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1-2), pages 81-112.
    6. Steier, Lloyd, 2007. "New venture creation and organization: A familial sub-narrative," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1099-1107, October.
    7. Jean-Luc Arrègle & Michael Hitt & David Sirmon & Philippe Véry, 2007. "The Development of Organizational Social Capital : Attributes of Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02312687, HAL.
    8. Neri Karra & Paul Tracey & Nelson Phillips, 2006. "Altruism and Agency in the Family Firm: Exploring the Role of Family, Kinship, and Ethnicity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 861-877, November.
    9. Carlo Salvato & Francesco Chirico & Pramodita Sharma, 2010. "A farewell to the business: Championing exit and continuity in entrepreneurial family firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3-4), pages 321-348, May.
    10. Carter, Sara & Ram, Monder, 2003. "Reassessing Portfolio Entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 371-380, December.
    11. Whyte, Martin King, 1996. "The Chinese Family and Economic Development: Obstacle or Engine?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 45(1), pages 1-30, October.
    12. C. K. Prahalad & Richard A. Bettis, 1986. "The dominant logic: A new linkage between diversity and performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(6), pages 485-501, November.
    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. DODERO ORTIZ DE ZEVALLOS Gino Felix & CLEMENTE-ALMENDROS José Antonio & BAHAMONDES ROSADO María Emilia, 2023. "The Covid-19 Crisis And The Financial Impact On Family Firms," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 18(2), pages 86-108, August.
    2. Pramodita Sharma & Jess Chua, 2013. "Asian family enterprises and family business research," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 30(3), pages 641-656, September.
    3. Cunningham, James & Seaman, Claire & McGuire, David, 2016. "Knowledge sharing in small family firms: A leadership perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 34-46.
    4. Cucculelli, Marco & Storai, Dimitri, 2015. "Family firms and industrial districts:," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 234-246.
    5. Lloyd Steier, 2009. "Familial capitalism in global institutional contexts: Implications for corporate governance and entrepreneurship in East Asia," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 513-535, September.
    6. Randerson, Kathleen & Bettinelli, Cristina & Fayolle, Alain & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Family entrepreneurship as a field of research: Exploring its contours and contents," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 143-154.
    7. Sanchez-Famoso, Valeriano & Pittino, Daniel & Chirico, Francesco & Maseda, Amaia & Iturralde, Txomin, 2019. "Social capital and innovation in family firms: The moderating roles of family control and generational involvement," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(3).
    8. Wright, Mike & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2011. "Family firms: A research agenda and publication guide," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(4), pages 187-198.
    9. Edelman, Linda F. & Manolova, Tatiana & Shirokova, Galina & Tsukanova, Tatyana, 2016. "The impact of family support on young entrepreneurs' start-up activities," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 428-448.
    10. Welsh, Dianne H.B. & Memili, Esra & Rosplock, Kirby & Roure, Juan & Segurado, Juan Luis, 2013. "Perceptions of entrepreneurship across generations in family offices: A stewardship theory perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 213-226.
    11. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2011. "Resilience of Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(6), pages 1107-1119, November.
    12. Jean–Luc Arregle & Bat Batjargal & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb & Toyah Miller & Anne S. Tsui, 2015. "Family Ties in Entrepreneurs’ Social Networks and New Venture Growth," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(2), pages 313-344, March.
    13. Wang, Wei & Wang, Hong, 2025. "The impact of women at the helm: Catalyzing or impeding digital transformation in family businesses?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 108(PA).
    14. Jean-Luc Arregle & Francesco Chirico & Liena Kano & Sumit K. Kundu & Antonio Majocchi & William S. Schulze, 2021. "Correction to: Family firm internationalization: Past research and an agenda for the future," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(6), pages 1199-1199, August.
    15. Gottschalck, Nicole & Guenther, Christina & Kellermanns, Franz, 2020. "For whom are family-owned firms good employers? An exploratory study of the turnover intentions of blue- and white-collar workers in family-owned and non-family-owned firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3).
    16. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Hao Wang & Saisai Wu, 2025. "Misconceptions About the Theoretical Support for Family Firm Long-Term Orientation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 49(2), pages 359-374, March.
    17. David G. Sirmon & Jean–Luc Arregle & Michael A. Hitt & Justin W. Webb, 2008. "The Role of Family Influence in Firms’ Strategic Responses to Threat of Imitation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 979-998, November.
    18. Camblanne, Lionel, 2013. "Family vision and cognition: An illustration through forest owners’ harvesting decisions," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 245-259.
    19. Chitra Singla & Ludvig Levasseur, 2023. "The role of family in unfolding the process of external corporate venturing in small family businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 105-126, June.
    20. 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.

    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:kap:asiapa:v:30:y:2013:i:3:p:749-767. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.