Handbook of Research on Family Business

During the previous decade, the multi-disciplinary field of family business has advanced significantly in terms of advances in theory, development of sophisticated empirical instruments, systematic measurement of family business activity, use of alternative research methodologies and deployment of robust tools of analysis. This second edition of the Handbook of Research on Family Business presents important research and conceptual developments across a broad range of topics. The contributors – notable researchers in the field – explore the frontiers of knowledge in family business entrepreneurship and stimulate critical thinking, enriching the repository of theoretical frameworks and methodologies

Social, Cultural, and Environmental Drivers of International Students’ Fear of Crime: A Cognitive Behavioral Perspective

This investigation develops and tests an hypothesised Cognitive Behavioral Fear of Crime Model. Mass media reports of crimes against international students have raised public awareness, questions about racially-oriented victimization, and the need for appropriate preventative strategies. Drawing upon Culture Shock Theory, this study proposes that international students are a vulnerable group, showing elevated levels of fear of crime, perceived risk, and avoidance behaviors. Five-hundred and ninety-one international students across four universities participated in either an online or hardcopy questionnaire survey, the measures of which were adapted from related studies. Structural Equation Modelling demonstrates a nonrecursive relationship between perceived risk, fear of crime, and avoidance behavior, supporting cognitive behavioral theory as an appropriate theoretical conceptualization for investigating fear of crime. Results show that young and female international students express significantly higher levels of fear of crime than their older and male counterparts. International students, who report high levels of social disorder and feel as an outsider or that it is difficult to make friends, express elevated perceived risk and fear of crime. Direct victimization, perceived cultural distance, and host attitudes influence fear of crime and avoidance behavior indirectly via perceived risk. Intriguingly, international students’ perceived prejudice by local residents is a nonsignificant predictor of perceived risk and fear of crime. Findings suggest the importance of social integration, social disorder, cultural differences, and attitudes of locals when it comes to international students’ perceived risk and fear of crime

E-BUSINESS USE AND VALUE FOR FAST GROWTH SMALLTO-MEDIUM ENTERPRISES IN TURBULENT ENVIRONMENTS

While e-business has been playing an increasingly role in facilitating firms to conduct businesses, there is a dearth of research examing the antecedcents and outcomes of e-business use in the entrepreneurial small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). Drawing upon the technology-organizationenvironment (TOE) framework and resource-based view (RBV) of the firm theory, we develop, theorize, and test an integrated theoretical model to evaluate the antecedents and consequences of ebusiness use in the fast growth SMEs context. We propose that IT resources, strategic IT alignment, market orientation, managerial perception of industry environments, and business partnerships are the key antecedents enabling fast growth SMEs to use e-business, and thus help these companies to achieve and sustain e-business value in turbulent environments. Structural equation modeling is employed to test our theoretical conceptualization on a cohort of 310 Australian fast-growth SMEs across different industrial sectors. The results confirm our conceptualization, highlighting the prominent role of IT, strategic planning, culture, managerial skills, and business partnerships in SME success. Our study provides initial empirical evidence to understand the relationship between IT and entrepreneurial SME performance. These findings have important implications for research and business practices

The Effect of IT Complementary Resources on Fast Growth Small-to-Medium Enterprise Performance: A Resource-based View

Owing to limited resources available to small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of technologies, IT is regarded as less important to SMEs compared with larger firms. Understanding whether and how IT helps SMEs to achieve business advantage still remains unclear. Drawing upon the resource-based view theory, the information systems (IS) and fast growth company literature, we develop and test a theoretical model that integrates IT complementary resources, business process performance and firm performance. We propose that fast growth SMEs are highly entrepreneurial and innovative, know how to strategically utilize IT to improve business processes and thus achieve rapid growth. Structural equation modeling is employed to test our theoretical conceptualization of 310 Australian fast-growth SMEs across different industrial sectors. The results show that IT complementary resources do lead to firm growth through enhancing activity integration and information sharing processes along the value chains. This research contributes to the ongoing debate of IT business value in the SME context and highlights the ways in which IT helps fast growth SMEs to achieve business success

Integration in the European Union: Does Widening Make Deepening?

Integration of the European Union over the years has continued to be debated, with many theories attempting to explain how the Union has consistently become ever closer. While many theories focus on the role of the individual member states or, on the other hand, the role of the Union’s institutions in driving forward integration, fewer consider the impact of widening, which entails adding more countries to the EU through enlargements. Since the first enlargement in 1973, the EU has grown from six members to its current twenty-eight. Meanwhile, it has transformed from a small community with specific economic purposes to a union of countries that work together in numerous sectors and delegate sovereignty to supranational institutions. I explore the potential connection between enlargement of the Union and deeper integration. While it can be difficult to pinpoint all instances where the addition of new countries led to further integration, my investigation highlights situations in which the relationship holds true. In response to challenges presented by the inclusion of new member states, the Union implements policy reforms or institutional changes. I reveal cases in which the accession of new members prompted institutional or policy changes, thus revealing that widening can act as a cause for deepening

Sustainable Seafood: Improving Environmental Attitudes, Not Increasing Product Information, Can Lead to Greater Willingness to Pay

Marine fish stocks and associated ecosystems are currently in a grave state, with 90 percent of worldwide fisheries considered fully fished or overfished. Due to policy and legislation proving timely and expensive, a market-based solution is needed to expedite sustainable change. Unfortunately, eco-labels, such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Dolphin Safe have not been effective in eliciting a greater consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for sustainable products. I distributed an online experimental survey to over 529 U.S. consumers to test whether providing concise, explanatory information on product packaging would elicit a higher WTP than products that just contained the traditional MSC label. In addition, I tested how environmental attitude, industry knowledge, and socio-demographic characteristics influence WTP. I found that there was no difference in WTP among products whose packaging included only a traditional MSC label, explanatory information, or a combination of the two. In contrast, environmental attitude played a significant role in predicting WTP: the more pro-environmental a consumer’s attitude was, the more they were WTP for sustainable shrimp and salmon products. Like many other studies have found, product price was a main barrier in WTP. Improving consumers’ environmental attitudes while focusing marketing campaigns on consumers that already hold pro-environmental attitudes may help boost sales and demand for sustainable seafood products, helping expedite vital sustainable change to the commercial fishing industry

The Role of Social Capital in Business Resilience: A Case Study of Malaysian Family Business

Social capital is an essential business element, providing opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and with different entrepreneurial capacities to interact when fulfilling their business aims. Characterized as the norms and networks that enable people to act collectively, social capital reflecting both the individualistic and communal notions of social capital. In this sense, norms and values are viewed as manifestations of social capital, which facilitate exchange, lower transaction costs, a reduction of cost of information, and encourage the collective management of resources. In this chapter, we take Noor Arfa Batik as a case to explore social capital concepts and processes, within the context of batik textiles, family business, as a means for strategizing valuable inputs and resources for business continuity. The qualitative data analytic approach taken here explores the internal and external network dimensions of social capital that help to foster business performance. The findings from the qualitative analysis show that social capital is associated with the presence of business dynamics and strong venture support and recognize the importance of fostering relationships within internal and external business network circles, to expand access to tangible (e.g., technology resources, investment in customer service) and intangible resources (e.g., knowledge, competencies, motivation, reputation), and industry platforms. Keywords: Social capital; Family Business, Business Resilience; Malaysian Batik Industry; Qualitativ

Social Capital, Knowledge Acquisition and Value-Creation for Business Performance

This study examines the interrelationships among structural and relational dimensions of social capital, and patterns of knowledge acquisition and value-creation, using data collected from 208 managers and executives of Malaysian SMEs. Structural embeddedness is measured in terms of perceived ties, frequency of interactions, and time spent with networks. Relational embeddedness is evaluated with respect to closeness, personal familiarity, certainty, and confidence towards other network players. Both structural and relational embeddedness of social capital are related significantly to the extent of intra- and inter-organizational knowledge acquisition and value-creation, which in turn impact significantly on business performance. Findings suggest that employees of SMEs are emboldened by the provision of networking options that are relevant for creating and adding business value in the long term; and that organizational structures must be suitable for reaching external market contacts and absorbing external knowledge for organizational change

Network Relationships for Firm’s Value-Added Strategies: A Case Study of Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB)

The fragmented nature of the convention industry requires a substantial degree of networking and collaboration among the multifaceted network relationships in destination marketing. Forming specific societal structures and processes within the delegates and convention-related businesses, the evolution and progression in convention industry are associated with social benefits through an exchange of ideas, fostering business contacts and facilitating knowledge transfer. These cooperation and collaboration lead to the quest for value-added strategies. Based upon a case study of Sarawak Convention Bureau, this paper proposes a more integrative theoretical framework in an attempt to describe and explain the nature of network relationships in convention industry, and the value-added strategies from the viewpoint of social capital. The case study involves face-to-face interviews, data coding, causal network modelling, and within-case analysis, throughout the interactive processes of qualitative inquiry

Social Capital, Knowledge Acquisition and Value-Creation for Business Performance

This study examines the interrelationships among structural and relational dimensions of social capital, and patterns of knowledge acquisition and value-creation, using data collected from 208 managers and executives of Malaysian SMEs. Structural embeddedness is measured in terms of perceived ties, frequency of interactions, and time spent with networks. Relational embeddedness is evaluated with respect to closeness, personal familiarity, certainty, and confidence towards other network players. Both structural and relational embeddedness of social capital are related significantly to the extent of intra- and inter-organizational knowledge acquisition and value-creation, which in turn impact significantly on business performance. Findings suggest that employees of SMEs are emboldened by the provision of networking options that are relevant for creating and adding business value in the long term; and that organizational structures must be suitable for reaching external market contacts and absorbing external knowledge for organizational change