Title: The divergent transmission of entrepreneurial orientation in family business research

Authors: Andreas Kallmuenzer

Addresses: Department of Tourism Business Studies, Management Center Innsbruck, MCI Tourism, Weiherburggasse 8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Abstract: In order to understand entrepreneurial attitudes in the context of family firms and their influence on performance, a literature review on the transmission of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct and its dimensions in family business is conducted. As a result of systematically reviewing scholarly journal articles (via ABI/inform, Business Source Premier and EconLit/EBSCO Host Databases), this state of the art research contributes to a better comprehension of successful practices of entrepreneurship in family firms and beyond. It reveals inconsistencies and ambiguities about the respective EO dimensions and their effects on performance. Also, a growing diversity of performance perceptions can be observed. Research recommendations suggest shedding more light on the subject by applying organisational theories to clarify the divergence of the dimensions and their effects on performance.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; entrepreneurial behaviour; firm-level entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial attitudes; family business; innovativeness; proactiveness; risk taking; autonomy; competitive aggressiveness; family firms; literature review.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEV.2016.082221

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 2016 Vol.8 No.4, pp.378 - 399

Received: 05 Jan 2015
Accepted: 21 Apr 2015
Published online: 13 Feb 2017 *

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