One neglected yet very important feature of family business is its internal homogeneity. Different from heterogeneity which focuses on differences across family firms, homogeneity here refers to the continuity and similarity of decision-making patterns either over time or across business units in a single family firm. This dissertation attempts to explore homogeneity in family businesses as well as its antecedents and performance consequences. To distinguish different types of homogeneity, strategic persistence is defined as homogeneity of strategic patterns over time and the pursuit of a dominant strategy as the homogeneity across related business units. Based upon S&P 1500 manufacturing firms from 1996 to 2013, it is found that family firms have a higher level of strategic persistence and a more consistent dominant strategy than nonamily firms. In addition, it appears that being older, with less organizational slack and having higher family involvement in ownership and management tends to strengthen the two kinds of homogeneity in family businesses. Finally, it is found that high homogeneity in decision-making can result in better performance in family business compared to nonamily firms, especially for those with high family involvement in management. Theoretical implications and limitations are discussed.

Background: Succession is not only a significant moment but also a major challenge for a family business’s life. The new CEO’s performances can play a critical role in the post-succession process, which consists of a series of strategic changes. Although the new CEO and various stakeholders can influence the post-succession process to different extents, previous literature has shown a lack of focus on the interactions between the new CEO and multiple other stakeholders in the post-succession process. To understand both the context filled with organizational changes and the interactions between individuals, the lens of sensemaking can be applied for the research.  Purpose: This study attempts to explore the perspectives of the new CEO and multiple other stakeholders regarding the strategic changes happening in the post-succession process in a family business through the lens of sensemaking.  Methodology: This thesis is based on a case study. Data was collected from previous literature, semi-structured interviews with 10 interviewees and public information. NVivo and manual coding were applied in data analysis.  Findings: The sensemaking map as the main finding shows that strategic changes in the case include two stages, the formulation stage and the implementation stage. Sensehiding conducted by the new CEO at the beginning of implementation classifies strategic changes into covert and overt type. The new CEO was the only one actively involved in the formulation stage. The managers and grassroot employees performed actively in the implementation stage instead, where the new CEO was rarely involved. The findings also analyzed the new CEO’s characteristics to illustrate the formulation of strategic changes centered on the new CEO.

Background: Following the ongoing globalisation, family businesses have been inclined to grow their businesses outside of their home markets. While academic attention has been devoted to family business internationalisation, it has mainly taken a family-focused perspective. Existing international business theories emphasise foreign market networks as facilitators for internationalisation, leaving home market networks under-researched. Purpose: This paper explores family business internationalisation by adopting an international business lens. The revised Uppsala model is used as the main frame of reference to understand how network relationships in the home market facilitate family business internationalisation. Method: The study is based on a qualitative design with an exploratory purpose and a grounded theory methodology, following a realist ontology and constructionist epistemology. Six in-depth semi-structured interviews with four family businesses were conducted. The use of grounded analysis allowed us to find patterns and explanations to ultimately develop a theory grounded in our findings. Conclusion: The benefits resulting from home market network relationships facilitate family business internationalisation. Predominantly, the acquisition of knowledge is a necessary step to gain resources family businesses are missing to internationalise. The conceptualisation of our theoretical model with the revised Uppsala model suggests an elaboration of the latter to include network resources and capabilities.

Background: Ongoing business transformations, labour shortages, and lack of resources are perceived as some of the business’s biggest challenges. Since innovation is a key driver for growth and profitability, it is indispensable for the long-term survival of a business. However, innovation remains a challenge for most businesses, including foundation-owned businesses. Despite the growing significance of this type of ownership, the literature on innovation in foundation-owned businesses is scarce. Existing literature primarily focuses on quantitative analyses of their economic performance without explaining how the foundation-owned business bodies influence innovation. Purpose: This study explores how foundation ownership influences innovation. The main goal is to understand the collaboration of the different foundation-owned business bodies and how this influences innovation in foundation-owned businesses. The study’s goal is to contribute to the sparse literature on foundation-owned businesses and aspire to provide insights and recommendations for FB and FoB practitioners, as well as for external parties. Method: This paper is based on a qualitative study following a grounded theory approach to derive new theories from empirical data. Hence, we conducted an exploratory multi-case study following the Eisenhardt Method. Our data sample consists of four foundation-owned businesses. In total, we conducted 18 interviews with foundations and their associated businesses, as well as practitioners and scholars in this research field. Conclusion: Based on our findings, we identified that innovation is influenced by five key factors namely governance bodies, foundation as a source of inspiration, foundation charter, the foundation supporting the business’s human resources, and the foundation’s capital procurement.Drawing on these factors, we determined three collaboration strategies of foundation-owned business bodies that influence innovation, namely distant, distant-close, and close collaboration which resulted in our theoretical model.Furthermore, we identified that foundation ownership fosters innovation on a larger scale by providing an innovation infrastructure.

Abstract Introduction: Knowledge is the most crucial aspect to gain a competitive advantage in today's world. However, to gain H.R., the effective knowledge is the most challenging part of modern society. The creation, management and usage of information is straightforwardly influenced by a few practices and methodologies of Human Resource Management (HRM). Knowledge management and Human resource management, both disciplines, has a great effect on information financial aspects. Research Problem and Questions: This study is done with the intention to gauge the impact of Knowledge management practices on H.R. performances and to check that how cultural dynamics affect the performance of the family businesses. Theoretic Area of the Study The theoretic area of the study deals with knowledge management and human resource management output/performance along with cultural dynamic moderating impacts. Research Methodology: It is a cross-sectional comparative study, and data is collected usingquestionnaires. The cultural dynamics were compared from Sweden and Pakistan. The tool was adapted from already existing studies, and the reliability and validity were checked beforehand. Conclusion: From the study, it is seen that Cultural dynamics act as a moderator amongst the HRM performance and Knowledge Management, and there is a strong relationship between knowledge management practices and HRM performance. The results also show that the correlation between K.M. and H.R. performance is relatively stronger in Sweden while it is moderate in Pakistan.

Non-family employees are indispensable resources for family firms as they grow. However, despite the recent scholarly attention toward non-family employees, it is still not clear how such important human resources should be managed and/or retained in family firms. To add to the limited body of knowledge on non-family employees working at family firms, this dissertation highlights the role of family-friendly workplace practices in preventing turnover intentions of non-family employees based on conservation of resources theory. Drawing on a sample of 116 dyad data (family business owner - non-family employee), this dissertation shows that family-friendly workplace practices prevent turnover intentions of non-family employees through decreased burnout. Moreover, it is found that family-friendly workplace practices in the family firms are affected by family influence. Thus, this dissertation not only creates avenues for future research on non-family employees, but also provides insight into the critical role of family-friendly workplace practices in the family firms.

This dissertation is interested in explaining how and why the culture of family and society impacts the competitive advantage of organizations and nations. Central to such an explanation is the development of a theory of the family firm because that theory is a potential link between the four distinct systems, the family, organization, nation, and society. This dissertation consists of four essays, three theoretical and one empirical. The first essay is theoretical; it argues that the formation of family and nonamily firms depends on the family culture of the firm’s founders. The essay distinguishes between two family cultures: one supports the formation of family firms and another supports the formation of nonamily firms. Accordingly, the essay provides a framework to understand family culture by using family concepts, such as marriage and love. The second essay is theoretical; it uses the developed framework in the first essay to understand the behavior and performance of family and nonamily firms. Specifically, the second essay attempts to answer the questions of why and when a business’s owner maintains the ownership with the family and/or hires family managers rather than nonamily managers, or vise versa. The third essay is theoretical; it argues that the formation of family and nonamily firms depends also on societal culture. Societies who endorse traditional and postmodern cultures support the formation of family firms because non-economic objectives have a higher priority than economic objectives. However, societies who endorse modern cultures support the formation of nonamily firms because economic objectives have first priority rather than non-economic objectives. The fourth essay is empirical; it tests some of the generated research questions in the third essay. The fourth essay argues that nations are exposed to cultural competition where nations of similar cultures compete against each other. This essay finds that the family mode of governance is the most appropriate mode for nations competing in traditional societies, the nonamily mode of governance is the most appropriate mode for nations competing in modern societies, and the state mode of governance is the most appropriate mode for nations competing in postmodern societies.

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Family business is a vital form of business with high representation across the world, yet the majority do not make it past the second generation. This study explores how organizational identity affects the decision-making process in family businesses. By looking at how family values affect decision-making in internal processes specifically seeks to uncover how family businesses can benefit from understanding and utilizing their organizational identity. The study thereby addresses a gap within existing business literature on how organizational identity affects internal processes in family businesses. This study was based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with six managers from three Swedish family businesses. The collected data were analyzed through a thematic analysis. The findings showed four justifications as to how organizational identity impacts decision-making in a family business. Findings revealed that organizational identity does have a presence in decision-making and that the owning family plays a big role in shaping the organizational identity.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(経済学) / 甲第23446号 / 経博第644号 / 新制||経||299(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院経済学研究科経済学専攻 / (主査)教授 澤邉 紀生, 教授 草野 真樹 講師 鈴木 寛之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Economics / Kyoto University / DGAM