IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v46y2022i1p193-222.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Transgenerational Succession and R&D Investment: A Myopic Loss Aversion Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Weiwen Li
  • Garry D. Bruton
  • Xinchun Li
  • Shuang Wang

Abstract

A transgenerational leadership transition is one of the most critical events in the life cycle of family firms. Drawing upon the myopic loss aversion (MLA) perspective, we argue that outgoing leaders and other company stakeholders tend to closely watch the later-generation successors immediately after a transgenerational succession, and thus the successors will focus on short-term developments and invest less in R&D activities. Employing the difference-in-differences approach, we find empirical support for our argument that transgenerational succession decreases R&D intensity. The negative effect of transgenerational succession is more pronounced when the later-generation successors suffer from a higher level of MLA.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:46:y:2022:i:1:p:193-222
    DOI: 10.1177/10422587211038479
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10422587211038479
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/10422587211038479?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. Richard H. Thaler & Amos Tversky & Daniel Kahneman & Alan Schwartz, 1997. "The Effect of Myopia and Loss Aversion on Risk Taking: An Experimental Test," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(2), pages 647-661.
    2. Tversky, Amos & Kahneman, Daniel, 1992. "Advances in Prospect Theory: Cumulative Representation of Uncertainty," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 297-323, October.
    3. Vincent L. Barker , III & George C. Mueller, 2002. "CEO Characteristics and Firm R&D Spending," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(6), pages 782-801, June.
    4. Thorsten Beck & Ross Levine & Alexey Levkov, 2010. "Big Bad Banks? The Winners and Losers from Bank Deregulation in the United States," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(5), pages 1637-1667, October.
    5. Ayse Karaevli, 2007. "Performance consequences of new CEO ‘Outsiderness’: Moderating effects of pre‐ and post‐succession contexts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 681-706, July.
    6. Gilsing, Victor & Nooteboom, Bart & Vanhaverbeke, Wim & Duysters, Geert & van den Oord, Ad, 2008. "Network embeddedness and the exploration of novel technologies: Technological distance, betweenness centrality and density," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(10), pages 1717-1731, December.
    7. Richard H. Thaler, 2008. "Mental Accounting and Consumer Choice," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(1), pages 15-25, 01-02.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. Schmid, Thomas & Achleitner, Ann-Kristin & Ampenberger, Markus & Kaserer, Christoph, 2014. "Family firms and R&D behavior – New evidence from a large-scale survey," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 233-244.
    11. 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.
    12. Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2006. "CEO Turnover, Firm Performance and Enterprise Reform in China: Evidence from New Micro Data," IZA Discussion Papers 1914, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. Lee, Boram & Veld-Merkoulova, Yulia, 2016. "Myopic loss aversion and stock investments: An empirical study of private investors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 235-246.
    16. Geoffrey Martin & Joanna Tochman Campbell & Luis Gomez-Mejia, 2016. "Family Control, Socioemotional Wealth and Earnings Management in Publicly Traded Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 133(3), pages 453-469, February.
    17. Shlomo Benartzi & Richard H. Thaler, 1995. "Myopic Loss Aversion and the Equity Premium Puzzle," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(1), pages 73-92.
    18. Tsang, Eric W. K., 2014. "Old and New," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(03), pages 390-390, November.
    19. Ryan Krause & Weiwen Li & Xufei Ma & Garry D. Bruton, 2019. "The board chair effect across countries: An institutional view," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(10), pages 1570-1592, October.
    20. Mehra, Rajnish & Prescott, Edward C., 1985. "The equity premium: A puzzle," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 145-161, March.
    21. Yan Zhang, 2008. "Information asymmetry and the dismissal of newly appointed CEOs: an empirical investigation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 859-872, August.
    22. Wei‐Ru Chen & Kent D. Miller, 2007. "Situational and institutional determinants of firms' R&D search intensity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 369-381, April.
    23. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:2:p:623-650 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. Alessandri, Todd M. & Mammen, Jan & Eddleston, Kimberly, 2018. "Managerial incentives, myopic loss aversion, and firm risk: A comparison of family and non-family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 19-27.
    25. Zhiang (John) Lin & Haibin Yang & Bindu Arya, 2009. "Alliance partners and firm performance: resource complementarity and status association," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(9), pages 921-940, September.
    26. Li, Xin Chun & Chen, Ling & Chua, Jess H. & Kirkman, Bradley L. & Rynes-Weller, Sara & Gomez-Mejia, Luis, 2015. "Research on Chinese Family Businesses: Perspectives," Management and Organization Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(4), pages 579-597, December.
    27. Miller, Danny & Steier, Lloyd & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle, 2003. "Lost in time: intergenerational succession, change, and failure in family business," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 513-531, July.
    28. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz W. Kellermanns & Steven W. Floyd & Victoria L. Crittenden & William F. Crittenden, 2013. "Planning for Growth: Life Stage Differences in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(5), pages 1177-1202, September.
    29. Sergio Correia, 2016. "reghdfe: Estimating linear models with multi-way fixed effects," 2016 Stata Conference 24, Stata Users Group.
    30. Jianjun Zhang & Christopher Marquis & Kunyuan Qiao, 2016. "Do Political Connections Buffer Firms from or Bind Firms to the Government? A Study of Corporate Charitable Donations of Chinese Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(5), pages 1307-1324, October.
    31. Weilei (Stone) Shi & Sunny Li Sun & Mike W. Peng, 2012. "Sub-National Institutional Contingencies, Network Positions, and IJV Partner Selection," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(7), pages 1221-1245, November.
    32. Franz W. Kellermanns & Kimberly A. Eddleston, 2006. "Corporate Entrepreneurship in Family Firms: A Family Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 809-830, November.
    33. Sea-Jin Chang & Jungwook Shim, 2015. "When does transitioning from family to professional management improve firm performance?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(9), pages 1297-1316, September.
    34. Fuxiu Jiang & Kenneth A Kim, 2020. "Corporate Governance in China: A Survey [The role of boards of directors in corporate governance: a conceptual framework and survey]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 24(4), pages 733-772.
    35. Corey C. Phelps, 2010. "A longitudinal study of the influence of alliance network structure and composition on firm exploratory innovation," Post-Print hal-00528392, HAL.
    36. Irmak Erdogan & Emanuela Rondi & Alfredo De Massis, 2020. "Managing the Tradition and Innovation Paradox in Family Firms: A Family Imprinting Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(1), pages 20-54, January.
    37. Kato, Takao & Long, Cheryl, 2006. "CEO turnover, firm performance, and enterprise reform in China: Evidence from micro data," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 796-817, December.
    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. Gu, Leilei, 2023. "Executives’ financial experience and myopic marketing management: A myopic loss-aversion perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Xulong Dai, 2022. "Supply Chain Relationship Quality and Corporate Technological Innovations: A Multimethod Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Wesemann, Henrik & Antretter, Torben, 2023. "Why don’t you like me? Exploring the social venture funding gap in angel investing," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    4. Yuan, Yuan & Hu, May & Cheng, Chen, 2023. "CEO succession and corporate innovation: A managerial myopic perspective," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    5. Songsong Cheng & Qunpeng Fan & Yang Song, 2023. "Performance Gap and Innovation Ambidexterity: A Moderated Mediation Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-22, 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. Hanqing “Chevy” Fang & Esra Memili & James J. Chrisman & Linjia Tang, 2021. "Narrow‐Framing and Risk Preferences in Family and Non‐Family Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 201-235, January.
    2. Hillebrand, Sebastian & Teichert, Thorsten, 2020. "Successor selection in times of continuity and renewal - A discrete choice-experiment," WiSo-HH Working Paper Series 59, University of Hamburg, Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences, WISO Research Laboratory.
    3. Yannick Bammens & Paul Hünermund & Petra Andries, 2022. "Pursuing Gains or Avoiding Losses: The Contingent Effect of Transgenerational Intentions on Innovation Investments," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(6), pages 1493-1530, September.
    4. Chirico, Francesco & Duane Ireland, R. & Pittino, Daniel & Sanchez-Famoso, Valeriano, 2022. "Radical innovation in (multi)family owned firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(3).
    5. Rene Schwaiger & Laura Hueber, 2021. "Do MTurkers Exhibit Myopic Loss Aversion?," Working Papers 2021-12, Faculty of Economics and Statistics, Universität Innsbruck.
    6. Eriksen, Kristoffer W. & Kvaløy, Ola, 2014. "Myopic risk-taking in tournaments," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 37-46.
    7. Gerlinde Fellner & Matthias Sutter, 2009. "Causes, Consequences, and Cures of Myopic Loss Aversion - An Experimental Investigation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 119(537), pages 900-916, April.
    8. Hueber, Laura & Schwaiger, Rene, 2022. "Debiasing through experience sampling: The case of myopic loss aversion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 87-138.
    9. Min, Byung-seong, 2021. "Heterogeneity of R&D in family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 88-95.
    10. Glätzle-Rützler, Daniela & Sutter, Matthias & Zeileis, Achim, 2015. "No myopic loss aversion in adolescents? – An experimental note," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 169-176.
    11. Eduard Marinov, 2017. "The 2017 Nobel Prize in Economics," Economic Thought journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 6, pages 117-159.
    12. Uri Gneezy & Jan Potters, 1997. "An Experiment on Risk Taking and Evaluation Periods," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(2), pages 631-645.
    13. Iñigo Iturbe-Ormaetxe Kortajarene & Giovanni Ponti & Josefa Tomás Lucas, 2015. "Some (Mis)facts about Myopic Loss Aversion," Working Papers. Serie AD 2015-09, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    14. Gary Charness & Uri Gneezy, 2010. "Portfolio Choice And Risk Attitudes: An Experiment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(1), pages 133-146, January.
    15. Jakusch, Sven Thorsten, 2017. "On the applicability of maximum likelihood methods: From experimental to financial data," SAFE Working Paper Series 148, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, revised 2017.
    16. Hopfensitz, Astrid & Wranik, Tanja, 2008. "Psychological and environmental determinants of myopic loss aversion," MPRA Paper 9305, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Thomas Langer & Martin Weber, 2001. "Prospect Theory, Mental Accounting, and Differences in Aggregated and Segregated Evaluation of Lottery Portfolios," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(5), pages 716-733, May.
    18. Daniel Ruiz-Palomo & Julio Diéguez-Soto & Antonio Duréndez & José António C. Santos, 2019. "Family Management and Firm Performance in Family SMEs: The Mediating Roles of Management Control Systems and Technological Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-22, July.
    19. Lv, David Diwei & Chen, Weihong & Zhu, Hang & Lan, Hailin, 2019. "How does inconsistent negative performance feedback affect the R&D investments of firms? A study of publicly listed firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 151-162.
    20. Sami Basly & Yosra Abdelwahed, 2023. "Commitment to Learning and Open Innovation in Family Firms: Exploring the Moderating Effect of Family-to-firm Identity Fit," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 32(2), pages 420-448, July.

    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:46:y:2022:i:1:p:193-222. 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.