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PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore to what extent passionate family chief executive officers (CEOs) increase the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of the family firm. More specifically, the authors investigate the impact of the family CEO’s entrepreneurial passion (EP) on the firm’s EO and explore whether the generational stage of the family CEO alters this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA multiple moderated regression model was used to test the hypothesized relationships, based on a unique sample of 140 private Belgian family firms. All respondent CEOs are members of the controlling family, meaning they are in a unique position to influence firm-level outcomes.FindingsThe results reveal a significant positive effect of a CEO’s EP on the family firm’s EO. The generational stage of the family CEO moderates the EP-EO relationship, so the positive effect is strongest in first-generation family CEOs and becomes negative in third- or later-generation CEOs.Originality/valueThis research builds on insights from imprinting and upper echelon theory to explore how the EP of the family CEO impacts the family firm’s EO. This study thereby contributes to research regarding the antecedents of EO and introduces the concept of EP in a family firm context. The present study further contributes to the literature on imprinting, as it empirically shows how the EP-EO relationship differs depending on the generational stage of the family CEO. In a family firm context, the generational stage acts as a contingency variable, determining the dominant theory (i.e. upper echelon or imprinting theory) in explaining the EP-EO relationship.

In family firms, the family often plays a central role in the strategic decisions of the business. However, until recently, research has primarily focused on exploring the role that business factors play in firm decision-making, with less attention given to the role of the family system. This article reviews the research on executive compensation in family firms to understand whether and how the family system has been considered within this work. Guided by the application of family science theories, we provide a framework to explain why it is important to incorporate the family system in the future study of executive compensation in family firms. We conclude by discussing a research agenda outlining how elements of the family system can be integrated into future executive compensation research to inspire scholars to think differently about this important research topic.

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of formal human resource management (HRM) in private family firms. Specifically, we adopt a socio-emotional wealth perspective to predict the relationship between family-centered noneconomic (FCNE) goals and formal HRM practices. In addition, we rely on the extension of the behavioral theory, i.e., the attention-based view of the firm, to understand the moderating effect of family governance practices (FGPs) on the relation between FCNE goals and formal HRM practices. Based on analyses of a sample of 293 Belgian privately-held family small and medium enterprises, we find that the pursuit of FCNE goals is associated with less formal HRM practices. In addition, simultaneously engaging in FGPs while pursuing FCNE goals reverses this negative effect. The authors want to acknowledge Dr. Vincent Molly, Dr. Johan Lambrecht, and Dr. Alain Praet for the joined eforts in data collection

PurposeThis study investigates the impact of the CEO's financial literacy on family SMEs' growth, as well as the moderating role of the generational stage on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on survey data of Spanish private family firms and utilizes a second source of data, the SABI database by Bureau Van Dijk. The authors run ordinary least squares regressions and use both the base and the partition approaches to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe analysis reveals a positive association between the CEO's financial literacy and firm growth. However, this relationship is not uniform across generations. The CEO's financial literacy-firm growth relationship becomes weaker for first- and third or subsequent-generation family firms while becoming stronger for second-generation family firms.Originality/valueThis study adds the financial literacy of the CEO as a novel individual-level determinant of family firm growth. It also shows that CEOs do not always use their financial literacy to its full potential to foster growth. More specifically, the extent to which financial literacy leads to firm growth is found to be conditional on the generational stage of the family SME. The obtained findings are valuable for family SMEs intending to hire a new CEO, encouraging the financial literacy of the current CEO and educating the next generation of family members.

Family firms are one of the most ubiquitous forms of business organizations worldwide. Their survival and growth are thus not only crucial for the firms themselves but also for the overall economy. One of the factors that influence their survival and development are their financing decisions. These decisions are generally described through the pecking order theory. However, not much is known about the applicability of this theory in private family firms. Given the shortcomings (both theoretically and empirically) of the current literature, we analyze 1087 incremental financing decisions from 277 family firms to develop and test a specific family firm pecking order. We integrate the elements of the socioemotional wealth perspective to theoretically explain the preferred order and introduce family capital into the pecking order model. Our findings indicate that family firms first prefer internal financing, next debt financing, followed by family capital, and last external capital. We also find that SEW considerations play a role in this financing decision. Especially the retention of control over the firm and the aim to pass the firm to the next generation appear to play an important role in determining this order. These dimensions ensure that family firms try to avoid extra capital. However, when it is needed, they will opt for family capital over external capital. This paper thus provides more insight into the reasoning behind financing decisions in private family firms.

Although past research suggests that family firms are less likely to use private equity (PE) financing, further research is required to identify the underlying reasons for such behaviour. Using the theory of planned behaviour and based on the analysis of data collected from 254 family firms, we identify the factors that explain a family firm’s intentions to use PE. Family owners are more likely to plan to use PE when they have a favourable attitude toward PE, their intended succession strategy involves relinquishing control by selling the business sometime in the future, and they have a good understanding of PE.

Although leasing can be an interesting financing option from an economic point of view, family businesses are found to be less prone to lease. In this study, we examine the view of the external accountant on leasing as an alternative form of financing within family businesses. After all, as the most trusted advisor, the accountant likely has a significant influence on the financial decisions that are taken within private family businesses. By means of an exploratory qualitative study, we examine what factors influence the advice for a particular financing option and the accountant’s recommendation to lease or not to lease within family businesses. By combining the extant literature with the results of this exploratory qualitative research, we formulate propositions that form fruitful avenues for future research.

Mental health issues in family businesses and business families have been studied in multiple disciplines within the past three decades. This article systematically reviews 51 articles on mental health issues in family businesses and business families, published in a wide variety of psychology, entrepreneurship, and management journals. Based on a systematic review of extant literature, this article first provides an overview of the state of the art, followed by specific suggestions on novel research questions, theoretical frameworks and study design. This way, the review systematizes evidence on known antecedents and consequences of mental health issues in family businesses and business families, but also reveals overlooked and undertheorized drivers and outcomes. The review reveals major gaps in our knowledge that hinder a valid understanding of mental health in the specific context of family businesses and business families, and articulates specific research questions that could be tackled by future research among management as well as mental health scholars. Finally, we point to the relevance of this study for policy makers, family business advisors, therapists and managers. ispartof: International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health vol:18 issue:5 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: Published online

The ultimate aim of family business research is the production of new actionable knowledge, that is rigorous, empirically verified recommendations that fit family business needs and benefit their business practice. Oftentimes, however, research efforts fall short in meeting this goal, leaving family business owners and managers with limited guidance other than anecdotal evidence, best practices, and other forms of “conventional” or “folk” wisdom. We address this theory-practice divide in family business research using the example of shareholder agreements. We present a theoretical analysis of the characteristics, antecedents and effects of shareholder agreements on family business outcomes using the concept of family-practice fit, suggesting that characteristics of the owning family, which are expressions of family heterogeneity, should be aligned with the practices used to manage the family, and its intersection with the business in order to facilitate goal attainment. In focusing on the family as a unit of analysis, our conceptualization follows the calls for a more nuanced understanding of the family behind the firm, providing a foundation upon which future research on shareholder agreements and other widespread family business practices can build.

In family businesses, growth is not just a measure of business success, but also of family well-being over time. In this chapter the authors discuss the state of the art on family business growth literature and the literature on the sources of finance to support this growth, with a focus on bank financing, mezzanine financing and private equity. They find that there is a lack of consensus on the main drivers of growth in family businesses and too little is known about the financing of their growth. Therefore, the authors offer a future research agenda to guide the advancement of knowledge on financing the growth of family businesses.

Motivated by the growing attention to the financing decisions of family firms, this review brings together the two highly relevant research fields of family business and finance. This study critically reviews 131 articles on financing decisions in family businesses, published between 1977 and 2016 in 64 finance and management journals. We develop a state of the art on family business financing literature and present a model to guide extant and future research by identifying gaps across the theoretical perspectives and across context-specific elements such as family business heterogeneity and country-specific factors. The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of formal HRM practices in private family firms. More specifically, we look at family-centered noneconomic (FCNE) goals and family gove...

Executive compensation can have implications for multiple elements of a family business and its importance to firm competitiveness has resulted in a large body of research in the areas of law, fina...

Purpose By investigating the use of formal compensation practices in family small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the purpose of this paper is to provide important new insights in these issues for academics, as well as family business practitioners, prospective applicants and financiers of family businesses. Moreover, this study includes a contingency that allows to explore heterogeneity across family businesses in their use of formal compensation practices: the CEO type. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 124 small- and medium-sized Belgian family businesses to explore the use of formal compensation practices is analyzed by the author. Findings The results support the hypothesis that family firms with a family CEO adopt significantly less formal compensation practices than their counterparts that are led by a non-family CEO. Research limitations/implications Generalizing the findings of this study must be taken with care, as the findings are based on a cross-sectional sample of family SMEs in one country, Belgium. Future research can build on these findings with studies on larger samples in other countries. Practical implications This study may be interesting for family business practitioners and consultants, as it provides insight in the actual use of formal compensation practices that are recommended as a best practice in numerous practitioner handbooks. Also, the results of this study might be important for prospective applicants and financiers, since the compensation system is an important communication device to signal legitimacy to external stakeholders. Originality/value Compensation issues are among the main challenges SMEs, especially family firms, face. Despite the clear importance of this matter, academic interest has been rather limited. This paper therefore displays sound descriptive survey results and empirically investigates the determinants of the use of formal compensation practices in Belgian family SMEs by distinguishing between different types of family businesses.

PurposeThe topic of dividend policies of private family-controlled firms has aroused the interest of corporate finance and governance scholars and practitioners alike. However, a lot of questions concerning the dividends in privately held family firms remain unanswered. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether a private family firm’s dividend payout is influenced by its degree of professionalization.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses are tested on a sample of 492 small to medium-sized Belgian family-controlled businesses with Tobit regression models.FindingsThe results show that professionalized family-controlled firms pay higher dividends to their shareholders than do less-professionalized firms. In particular, the use of financial control systems, non-family involvement in governance systems, and the use of human resource control systems have a positive significant impact on the average level of dividend payout.Practical implicationsThis study may be of interest to family business consultants and (potential) investors, as the results contradict the assumption that family businesses (especially those privately held) will always have a no or low dividend policy.Originality/valueInvestigating dividend payout in the context of other components than family ownership (in this case, professionalization) can broaden our understanding of dividend payout.

Intra-familial principal–principal conflict are a relevant agency problem in privately held family firms. These conflicts of interest commonly occur between active and passive family shareholders, and require remedies different from those that deal with principal-agent conflicts. This article empirically examines whether or not firms use dividends as instruments to cope with conflicts of interest between active and passive family shareholders and how family governance practices moderate this relationship. The results show that the existence of an intra-familial conflict of interest results in a higher propensity to pay dividends and that the use of family governance practices strengthens this relationship. Additionally, the findings suggest that using family governance practices leads to a more efficient dividend policy.

Although classical agency theorists claim that pay-for-performance is not relevant in the context of private family firms, the authors provide empirical evidence of the opposite, using a sample of 529 privately held U.S. family firms. The results suggest that objective performance-based measures play a significant role in CEO compensation. Additionally, the authors find that in private family firms CEO compensation is more responsive to firm performance in firms with low ownership dispersion and in the controlling-owner stage. Furthermore, the positive pay-for-performance relation is slightly stronger for nonfamily CEOs than for family CEOs.

In this article, we explore the relationship between participating at the breast cancer screening programme in the city of Antwerp and the socio-economic status of the neighbourhood the women reside in. To this end, social and demographic characteristics that might explain the variance in the participation rate were listed. A logistic multilevel analysis was performed. In general, 13,415 women (37.8%) took part in the screening programme in Antwerp. The difference in participation rate of women living in privileged and underprivileged areas is 9.3%. The neighbourhoods are defined as statistical sectors. Statistical sectors with a high percentage people above 65 years and couples with children tend to have a higher attendance, whereas the percentage of foreigners has a negative influence. There is a need to discover the specific causes of the lower participation rate in the underprivileged areas and how one can cope with this problem. Further research is also needed where the assessment of the socio-economic status is concerned.