Board Composition and Family Firms’ Profitability. Do Generational Stage and Performance Level Matter?

Authors

  • Annalisa Sentuti Carlo Bo University of Urbino, Italy
  • Gail Denisse Chamochumbi Diaz Carlo Bo University of Urbino, Italy
  • Francesca Maria Cesaroni Carlo Bo University of Urbino, Italy

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14276/2285-0430.2298

Abstract

International Journal of Economic Behavior, vol. 10, n. 1, 2020, 3-13

This article examines the relationship between board composition and family firms’ performance. Namely, by adopting the theoretical framework of socio-emotional wealth and analyzing a sample of Italian medium-sized family firms, we investigate how the presence of non-family directors affects their financial performance, considering the generational stage as a moderating variable. Findings suggest that a higher presence of non-family directors has a less positive effect on first-generation family firms than in later generations of family firms. Furthermore, by adopting a quantile regression, results show that this effect is more striking in low-performing family businesses than in high.

             

Keywords: Family Businesses; Board of directors; Firm performance; Non-family directors; Corporate governance; Generational stage; First-generation family firms; Quantile regression

Author Biography

Annalisa Sentuti, Carlo Bo University of Urbino, Italy

Full Professor, Department of Economics, Society and Politics (DESP)

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Published

27.07.2020