Generational Involvement in the Top Management Team of Family Firms: Exploring Nonlinear Effects on Entrepreneurial Orientation. (5th June 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sciascia, Salvatore; Mazzola, Pietro; Chirico, Francesco
• Is Part Of: Entrepreneurship theory and practice. Volume 37:Number 1(2013:Jan.)
• Page Start: 69
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2012-06-05
• Subjects: Small business -- Periodicals; New business enterprises -- Periodicals; Entrepreneurship -- Periodicals; 658.421
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2012.00528.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1042-2587

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" xml:lang="en"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>The present study contends that an inverted U‐shaped relationship exists between generational involvement—i.e., the number of family generations simultaneously involved in the family‐firm top management team (TMT)—and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). Drawing on the upper echelons theory, we conceive generational involvement as a proxy of knowledge diversity in multigenerational family TMTs. We argue that while moderate levels of generational involvement stimulate task‐related constructive conflicts for EO, increased kinship distance and relationship conflicts led by high levels of generational involvement are likely to undermine this potential advantage by damaging the relational context for EO. Our hypothesis is confirmed on a data set of 199 family firms.</p> </abstract>