Title: Technology, innovation and performance in family firms

Authors: Fernando G. Alberti; Emanuele Pizzurno

Addresses: LIUC Università Cattaneo, Corso Matteotti 22, 21053 Castellanza (VA), Italy ' LIUC Università Cattaneo, Corso Matteotti 22, 21053 Castellanza (VA), Italy

Abstract: There are important theoretical reasons to consider family firms as differing from non-family ones with reference to technology strategy and innovation. However, for a long time, theory building in this stream of research has by and large overlooked the importance of the family variable, but in recent times there is a nascent and growing debate on such issues. Results so far are still open and somewhat contradictory. The present paper fills this conceptual and empirical gap, building on a quali-quantitative research design, where technology strategy and innovation are explored in relation to performance in family firms. Our paper suggests that family firms' performance is positively correlated with new product development, market knowledge rather than technological knowledge, and knowledge sharing rather than knowledge availability.

Keywords: technology strategy; R&D; innovation; research and development; new product development; NPD; market knowledge; family firms; family businesses; entrepreneurship; firm performance; knowledge sharing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2013.055253

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2013 Vol.17 No.1/2/3, pp.142 - 161

Received: 20 Jul 2012
Accepted: 22 May 2013
Published online: 30 Apr 2014 *

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