Family firm internationalization: Past research and an agenda for the future

Although the study of family firm internationalization has generated considerable scholarly attention, existing research has offered varied and at times incompatible findings on how family ownership and management shape internationalization. To improve our understanding of family firm internationalization, we systematically review 220 conceptual and empirical studies published over the past three decades, structuring our comprehensive overview of this field according to seven core international business (IB) themes. We assess the literature and propose directions for future research by developing an integrative framework of family firm internationalization that links IB theory with conceptual perspectives used in the reviewed body of work. We propose a research agenda that advocates a cross-disciplinary, multi-theoretic, and cross-level approach to studying family firm internationalization. We conclude that family firm internationalization research has the potential to contribute valuable insights to IB scholarship by increasing attention to conceptual and methodological issues, including micro-level affective motivations, background social institutions, temporal perspectives, and multi-level analyses

Explaining the effect of rapid internationalization on horizontal foreign divestment in the retail sector. An extended penrosean perspective

Building on and extending Penrosean logic we argue that rapid international expansion by firms might lead to a breach of Penrosean constraints on efficient expansion and to subsequent divestment of international operations to bring firm scope back into Penrosean constraints. We further predict that intra-regional concentration and international experience moderate the above effect because they influence firms ability to avoid a breach of Penrosean constraints and/or weaken the consequences of such a breach. Using data on the international expansion and divestment of large retail MNEs over the period 2003-2012 we find empirical support for the proposed extended Penrose effect in explaining international divestment as well as for the moderating effects of intra-regional concentration and international experience. Our study contributes to the development of Penrosean logic and to our understanding of the factors that drive firms to divest overseas operations

Defining family business: a closer look at definitional heterogeneity

Researchers have used a myriad of different definitions in seeking to explain the heterogeneity of family firms and their unique behavior; however, no widely-accepted definition exists today. Definitional clarity in any field is essential to provide (a) the basis for the analysis of performance both spatially and temporally and (b) the foundation upon which theories, frameworks and models are developed. We provide a comprehensive analysis of prior research and identify and classify 82 definitions of family business. We then review and evaluate five key theoretical perspectives in family business to identify how these have shaped and informed the definitions employed in the field and duly explain family firm heterogeneity. Finally, we provide a conceptual diagram to inform the choice of definition in different research settings

Multilevel models in international business research

Multiple-level (or mixed linear) modeling (MLM) can simultaneously test hypotheses at several levels of analysis (usually two or three), or control for confounding effects at one level while testing hypotheses at others. Advances in multi-level modeling allow increased precision in quantitative international business (IB) research, and open up new methodological and conceptual possibilities. However, they create new challenges, and they are still not frequently used in IB research. In this editorial we outline some key methodological issues for the uses of MLM in IB, including criteria, sample size, and measure equivalence issues. We then examine promising directions for future multilevel IB research considering comparative opportunities at nation, multiple-nation cluster, and within-nation region levels, including large multilevel databases. We also consider its promise for MNE research about semi-globalization, interorganizational effects across nations, clusters within nations, and teams and subsidiaries within MNEs