Tracks > Track 8: Family firms in the digital age

Track 8: Family firms in the digital age

Despite its contemporary significance, existing research in entrepreneurship has overlooked the role of digital technologies in family business research. Family business scholars do not know much about the processes of digital transformation and digital innovation as well as entrepreneurship carried out by these firms. Yet, these are major levers for the development of these firms, particularly on a global scale. It is largely recognized that family firms favour stability to change and slow evolutions to upheavals and disruptions. Overall, discontinuous change seems to conflict with the essential goals and values of the family system. Family influence creates a paradox when the firm decides to adopt discontinuous technology because of the willingness to pursue family members’ noneconomic goals. Interestingly, recent research assumes that although highly family-influenced firms recognize discontinuous technologies later than their less family-influenced counterparts, they implement adoption decisions more quickly and with more stamina.
This track resonates with previous research, emphasizing family firms’ heterogeneity and aims to underline that the adoption of discontinuous technologies in family business is a strategic innovation decision that can be affected by factors such as family business goals, governance structures, resources, and idiosyncratic situational factors.

Keywords:  Family firms, Digital transformation, Digital innovation

Organizer: Nada Rejeb n.rejeb@psbedu.paris 

Co-organizers: Sami Basly, Michael Christofi