مسیر کارآفرینی در عملکرد شرکت خانوادگی Entrepreneurial paths to family firm performance

1. Introduction Research is increasingly interested in explaining family firm performance (Xi, Kraus, Kellermanns, & Filser, 2015) with a particular focus on entrepreneurial behavior and attitudes (Chirico & Nordqvist, 2010) as the main antecedents of family firm performance. Because “family dynamics affect entrepreneurial processes” (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003, p. 574), investigating the connections between family firm and entrepreneurship research is of the utmost importance (Salvato, 2004). Prior literature also shows that entrepreneurial behavior helps explain variations in family firm performance, suggesting their dependence upon complex family dynamics (Kallmuenzer, 2016; Nordqvist, Habbershon, & Melin, 2008; Zellweger & Sieger, 2012). This article attempts to explore the interplay among entrepreneurial behavior and family firm dynamics, aiming to identify the multiple possible configurations of entrepreneurial (innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking), governance (transfer intentions), and family-related factors (family involvement) leading to above-average firm performance. A sample of 149 Austrian family firms employs the novel method fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to offer counterintuitive insights into these respective configurations as antecedents of family firm performance (Kraus, Ribeiro-Soriano, & Schüssler, 2017). A subsequent qualitative verification of seven followup interviews (Woodside, 2014) provides further insights into the identified configurations and additional uncommon constellations (remainders). Findings show that four main configurations of entrepreneurial behavior and family firm dynamics lead to aboveaverage results. The additional investigated remainders lead to aboveaverage firm performance when the succession process is planned in spite of unclear transfer intentions (remainder cases 1 and 3), or when the firm is taking an appropriate amount of risk when facing hostile environments (remainder cases 2 and 3).