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This study aims to empirically identify cultural patterns in the family business: paternalistic, laissez-faire, participative and professional. Our second goal is to understand whether, besides the variable generation, there are other aspects that are based on the different cultural patterns in first and second generations. Dyer (1986) proposed a theoretical model to exploit cultural change in the family business, describing a typical temporal sequence of cultural patterns throughout the succession process.

We selected a qualitative research approach with multiple case studies. Six small-sized Portuguese family businesses were selected. Data were collected from in-depth and semi-structured interviews with the family leaders and those directly responsible for human resource management.

We empirically identified paternalistic, laissez-faire and participative cultural patterns. We also verified that, besides the generation, there are other factors that are at the root of the emergence of a cultural pattern within family businesses: the founder’s age and academic level and the presence of a human resource technician, in the case of businesses managed by founders and the presence of the founder in the case of businesses managed by second generation.

By identifying different cultural patterns, we were able to verify that culture is an important variable to explain the relationship between the members of the family businesses and the way they are managed. Furthermore, this study suggests that more complex models, which consider multiple variables, are required to understand culture in the context of family businesses.

Based on the socioemotional wealth theory, this study aims to empirically investigate how founder reign, that is a founder serving as a cheif executive officer (CEO) or chairman, influences family firms' research and development (R&D) investment in emerging economies (e.g. China).

This study empirically tested the hypotheses based on a sample of listed Chinese family companies from 2008 to 2018.

Founder reign has a negative impact on family firms' R&D investment. Particularly, the negative impact of the founder serving as chairman on family firms' R&D investment is larger than the negative impact of the founder serving as CEO on family firms' R&D investment. Founder's military experience weakens the negative impact of founder reign on family firms' R&D investment, but founder's executive master of business administration (E)MBA experience has no moderating effect on this relationship.

First, the authors contribute to the family firm innovation literature by providing an alternative but complementary explanation of why family firms have relatively low R&D investment levels. This research shows that founder reign is a key reason for family firms in China eschewing R&D investment. Second, by incorporating the founder serving as CEO and the founder serving as chairman into the analytical framework, and then examining their impact on family firms' R&D investment, our research helps us to fully understand the impact of founder reign on firm strategic actions. Third, we contribute to the “founder reign-firm strategic actions” framework by revealing how founders' human capital profoundly affects the relationship between founder reign and family firms' R&D investment.

Based on socioemotional wealth theory, the authors explore the impact of founder domination (with the founder as the chairman or CEO) on the earnings management activities of family firms and examine the moderating effect of the industry environment on the above relationship.

Based on the multivariate regression model, the authors test the theoretical view on the empirical data of Chinese family-owned listed companies.

The authors propose and find that under founder domination, family firms are unlikely to engage in earnings management activities. Furthermore, the authors find that industry growth enhances the above relationship, while industry competition weakens it.

First, by clarifying the importance and heterogeneous impacts of the founder serving as chairman or CEO on China's family firms' earnings management, this research contributes to a fuller understanding of the impact of founder domination on the business activities of firms, especially family firms. Second, the authors contribute to the literature that examines the antecedents of earnings management, particularly in family firms. Third, the authors contribute to the study of the boundary conditions of the “founder domination-firms’ business activities” framework.

Celebrating our 125th anniversary last year has caused a corporate‐wide sense of reflection. How has Heinz—now an $8 billion global food‐processing organization—prevailed? And, in the doing, what have we learned?

The phenomenon of defamilization of family firms is gradually increasing for the growth of family firms, that is, nonfamily executives are increasingly present in the executive teams of family firms. Although previous scholars have identified various determinants of family firms' defamilization, whether and when innovation underperformance affects the decision to defamilize family firms has not been explore. This study aims to fill the aforementioned research gaps.

This study empirically tests the theoretical view based on the data of Chinese A-share family listed companies from 2009 to 2017.

The authors found that innovation underperformance drives family companies to increase the percentage of nonfamily executives in their executive teams. Further, the authors found that family firms are less willing to hire nonfamily executives with an increase in socioemotional wealth, particularly when founders of such businesses serve as directors or are major shareholders, even when they are not directors.

This study shows that innovation underperformance and socioemotional wealth are important predictors of family firms’ defamilization decisions.

The aim of this paper is to explore the family firms' propensity to undertake R&D investments after going public, showing how it varies due to the ownership structure.

The analysis is based on a sample of 132 French and Italian family and nonfamily IPOs in the period 2013–2018.

The empirical findings show a positive relationship between the quantity of post-IPO shares retained by family owners and R&D investments. Furthermore, the abovementioned relationship is negatively affected by the generational stage and positively by the presence of a lone founder.

Outside investors of family firms may be assured in buying shares of founding family firms after going public because they are stimulated to undertake R&D investments and therefore create overall value in the long term. Furthermore, external managers of lone-founder and first-generation family firms can adopt innovation investments without fear of being replaced as a consequence of a hostile takeover. Lastly, private equity should support later generation family IPOs, providing them with capital and managerial skills in order to generate value for shareholders.

Past studies have mostly shown family firms' reluctance to undertake R&D investments; however, scholars have focused on private or public family firms, ruling out the analysis of family firms' innovation behaviour within the setting of an IPO. To the best of the author's knowledge, this study represents the first empirical attempt to investigate the relationship between family firms and post-IPO innovation investments, when the capital infusion relaxes the financial constraints of family firms.

Organizational diagnosis. The case addresses the issue of an outsider at a senior position in a family-run business.

MBA.

NCR-Delhi is a multi-specialty hospital in Delhi and is essentially a family-run business. Though it had done well in the early years since its inception, it had been plagued by many problems and had undergone many changes in management and processes. An outsider joined it as the Facility Director (FD) two years ago. In these two years, he introduced multi-directional changes. However, he has not been able to achieve a complete turnaround of the hospital. The major issues facing him are financial, operational and personnel-related issues. The hospital is currently in a major financial crisis, which has been causing delays in disbursement of salaries and creating resource crunches in daily operations. Most of the patients are government empanelled patients, and collection of payments from such patients usually takes at least three months. Employee attrition and customer satisfaction are also continuing challenges. Other issues include lack of proper support and interference from top management. The FD has been showing considerable prowess and capability in leading the organization, but has not been able to achieve the desired results owing to the above factors.

To understand the frameworks and process of organizational diagnosis; to understand the influence of change initiatives on organizational culture; and to understand the complexity of family business and what happens when an outsider leader joins family business.

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CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

This study examines the propensity to innovate in automation of family firms (FFs) based on the socio-emotional wealth (SEW) perspective.

This study’s analysis is based on three aspects. First, the authors consider three main non-economic goals and priorities of FFs: the family’s relationship with employees (read as to care for their satisfaction and well-being); the inner pride of building and maintaining the family and firm image and reputation; and the inner feeling to be socially responsible. Second, the authors consider how these goals and priorities vary among FFs according to four dimensions: family ownership, the presence of family members on the board of directors, the involvement of young successors, and the presence of founding and later generations. Finally, the consequences of automation are considered: lower firm employment, lower employees’ satisfaction and well-being, and higher firm productivity. The analysis is based on a sample of 4,150 Italian firms.

The analysis revealed that FFs are less prone to innovate in automation than non-FFs. Specifically, family ownership, the presence of family members on the board of directors, and the presence of founding generation are negatively associated with innovation in automation. Instead, the involvement of young successors and the presence of later generation are positively associated with innovation in automation.

To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first investigation that, based on SEW, examines how FFs act on the decision to innovate in automation, thereby providing empirical evidence.

The purpose of this paper is to provide the historical background of genealogical records and analyze the value of Chinese genealogical research through the study of names and genealogical resources.

The paper examines the historical evolution and value of Chinese genealogical records, with the focus on researching the Islamic Chinese names used by the people living in Guilin. The highlight of this paper includes the analysis and evolution of the Islamic Chinese names commonly adopted by the local people in Guilin. It concludes with the recommendations on emphasizing and making the best use of genealogical records to enhance the research value of Chinese overseas studies.

The paper covers the history of Islam and describes how the religion was introduced into China, as well as Muslims' ethnicity and identity. It also places focus on the importance of building a research collection in Asian history and Chinese genealogy.

This research study has a strong subject focus on Chinese genealogy, Asian history, and Islamic Chinese surnames. It is a narrow field that few researchers have delved into.

The results of this study will assist students, researchers, and the general public in tracing the origin of their surnames and developing their interest in the social and historical value of Chinese local history and genealogies.

The study of Chinese surnames is, by itself, a particular field for researching the social and political implications of contemporary Chinese society during the time the family members lived.

Very little research has been done in the area of Chinese local history and genealogy. The paper would be of value to researchers such as historians, sociologists, ethnologists and archaeologists, as well as students and anyone interested in researching a surname origin, its history and evolution.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.