IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v37y2013i6p1263-1288.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Goal Setting in Family Firms: Goal Diversity, Social Interactions, and Collective Commitment to Family–Centered Goals

Author

Listed:
  • Josip Kotlar
  • Alfredo De Massis

Abstract

Goal setting in family firms is very complex due to the interplay between family and business systems. However, this topic is largely overlooked in family business research. In this qualitative study of goals and goal formulation processes among 76 organizational members across 19 family firms, we identify goal diversity as a direct consequence of the overlap between the family, ownership, and business systems. We found that goal diversity is expressed more strongly in the proximity of generational transitions, triggering social interaction processes through which organizational members contrast their goals. Our findings suggest that different types of social interactions lead to different behaviors, with familial social interactions being more effective than professional social interactions in managing goal diversity toward the formation of collective commitment to family–centered goals.

Suggested Citation

  • Josip Kotlar & Alfredo De Massis, 2013. "Goal Setting in Family Firms: Goal Diversity, Social Interactions, and Collective Commitment to Family–Centered Goals," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(6), pages 1263-1288, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:37:y:2013:i:6:p:1263-1288
    DOI: 10.1111/etap.12065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/etap.12065
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/etap.12065?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Patricia Pitcher & Anne D. Smith, 2001. "Top Management Team Heterogeneity: Personality, Power, and Proxies," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, February.
    2. Paul Westhead & Carole Howorth, 2007. "‘Types’ of private family firms: an exploratory conceptual and empirical analysis," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(5), pages 405-431, September.
    3. Michael Lubatkin & William S. Schulze & N Dino Richard, 2003. "Exploring the agency consequences of ownership dispersion among the directors of private family firms," Post-Print hal-02311676, HAL.
    4. Jaume Villanueva & Harry J. Sapienza, 2009. "Goal Tolerance, outside Investors, and Family Firm Governance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(6), pages 1193-1199, November.
    5. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    6. 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.
    7. Lloyd P. Steier & Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman, 2009. "Embeddedness Perspectives of Economic Action within Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(6), pages 1157-1167, November.
    8. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Pramodita Sharma, 2005. "Trends and Directions in the Development of a Strategic Management Theory of the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(5), pages 555-575, September.
    9. Isabelle Le Breton–Miller & Danny Miller & Lloyd P. Steier, 2004. "Toward an Integrative Model of Effective FOB Succession," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 305-328, July.
    10. Alan L. Carsrud, 2006. "Commentary: “Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees’ Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm†: It All Depends on Perceptions of Family, Fairness, Equity, and Justice," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 855-860, November.
    11. Michael Lubatkin & William S. Schulze & Richard N. Dino, 2003. "Exploring the agency consequences of ownership dispersion among the directors of private family firms," Post-Print hal-02276698, HAL.
    12. Linda Argote & Henrich R. Greve, 2007. "A Behavioral Theory of the Firm ---40 Years and Counting: Introduction and Impact," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 337-349, June.
    13. Michael G. Jacobides, 2007. "The Inherent Limits of Organizational Structure and the Unfulfilled Role of Hierarchy: Lessons from a Near-War," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 455-477, June.
    14. Habbershon, Timothy G. & Williams, Mary & MacMillan, Ian C., 2003. "A unified systems perspective of family firm performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 451-465, July.
    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. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Allison W. Pearson & Tim Barnett, 2012. "Family Involvement, Family Influence, and Family–Centered Non–Economic Goals in Small Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(2), pages 267-293, March.
    2. Hiebl, Martin R.W., 2013. "Bean counter or strategist? Differences in the role of the CFO in family and non-family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 147-161.
    3. Steijvers, Tensie & Niskanen, Mervi, 2014. "Tax aggressiveness in private family firms: An agency perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 347-357.
    4. 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.
    5. San Martin-Reyna, J.M. & Duran-Encalada, Jorge A., 2012. "The relationship among family business, corporate governance and firm performance: Evidence from the Mexican stock exchange," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(2), pages 106-117.
    6. Basco, Rodrigo, 2013. "The family's effect on family firm performance: A model testing the demographic and essence approaches," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 42-66.
    7. Heino, Noora & Tuominen, Pasi & Jussila, Iiro, 2020. "Listed Family Firm Stakeholder Orientations: The Critical Role of Value-creating Family Factors," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).
    8. Bjuggren, Per-Olof & Nordström, Louise & Palmberg, Johanna, 2015. "Efficiency of Female Leaders in Family and Non-Family Firms," Ratio Working Papers 259, The Ratio Institute.
    9. Tim Barnett & Rebecca G. Long & Laura E. Marler, 2012. "Vision and Exchange in Intra–Family Succession: Effects on Procedural Justice Climate among Nonfamily Managers," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1207-1225, November.
    10. 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.
    11. 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.
    12. Abdellatif, Mahamat & Amann, Bruno & Jaussaud, Jacques, 2010. "Family versus nonfamily business: A comparison of international strategies," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 108-116, June.
    13. Chrisman, James J. & Chua, Jess H. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Chang, Erick P.C., 2007. "Are family managers agents or stewards? An exploratory study in privately held family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1030-1038, October.
    14. Lloyd P. Steier & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua, 2004. "Entrepreneurial Management and Governance in Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 295-303, July.
    15. Webb, Justin W. & Ketchen Jr., David J. & Ireland, R. Duane, 2010. "Strategic entrepreneurship within family-controlled firms: Opportunities and challenges," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(2), pages 67-77, June.
    16. Dominik van Aaken & Maximilian Göbel & Daniel Meindl, 2020. "Monitor or Advise? How Family Involvement Affects Supervisory Board Roles in Family Firms," Schmalenbach Business Review, Springer;Schmalenbach-Gesellschaft, vol. 72(2), pages 193-224, April.
    17. Dawson, Alexandra, 2011. "Private equity investment decisions in family firms: The role of human resources and agency costs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 189-199, March.
    18. Esra Memili & Kaustav Misra, 2015. "Corporate Governance Provisions, Family Involvement, and Firm Performance in Publicly Traded Family Firms," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-36, July.
    19. Chrisman, James J. & Chua, Jess H. & Steier, Lloyd P. & Wright, Mike & McKee, D’Lisa N., 2012. "An agency theoretic analysis of value creation through management buy-outs of family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 197-206.
    20. 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.

    More about this item

    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:sae:entthe:v:37:y:2013:i:6:p:1263-1288. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.