Title: The missing link between governance factors and entrepreneurial internationalisation of family SMEs: an empirical analysis of an emerging economy

Authors: Waleed Omri; Abdoulkarim Idi Cheffou; Pinar Sener

Addresses: EDC Paris Business School, OCRE Laboratory, Paris La Defense 1, 92415 Courbevoie, France; Montpellier Research in Management (MRM) Laboratory, University of Montpellier, France ' EDC Paris Business School, OCRE Laboratory, Paris La Defense 1, 92415 Courbevoie, France ' EDC Paris Business School, OCRE Laboratory, Paris La Defense 1, 92415 Courbevoie, France

Abstract: This study aims to clarify the conflicting results regarding the influence of family ownership on international entrepreneurial strategies. Drawing on the stewardship, resource-based view and principal-principal perspectives, we hypothesise an indirect relationship between family ownership concentration and international entrepreneurial orientation through the proportion of the independent directors in the board. We tested our hypotheses using structural equation modelling on data drawn from 194 family small- and mid-sized enterprises in Tunisia, confirming the positive association between family ownership concentration and international entrepreneurial orientation, and the partial mediating effect of board independence on this association. Our findings suggest several practical implications and future research themes.

Keywords: international entrepreneurship; international entrepreneurial orientation; family ownership; board independence; family business.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIM.2023.132434

European Journal of International Management, 2023 Vol.20 No.4, pp.550 - 575

Received: 23 Dec 2018
Accepted: 27 Jul 2019
Published online: 20 Jul 2023 *

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