Abstract
Research on innovation in family firms has flourished in the last decades. Nevertheless, most of the current understanding has been developed by studying large organizations, leaving the specific challenges and opportunities of innovating in small family firms still untapped. This introductory article summarizes the studies included in the special issue and integrates their contributions by uncovering four types of innovation that allow small family firms to overcome the liability of smallness. Finally, we suggest directions for future research.
References
Barbaritano, M., Savelli, E. (2020). Design and sustainability for innovation in family firms. A case study from the Italian furniture sector. Piccola Impre-sa/Small Business. In press.
Brinkerink, J., & Rondi, E. (2020). When can families fill voids? Firms’ reliance on formal and informal institutions in R&D decisions. Entrepreneurship Theo-ry and Practice. In press.
Calabrò A., Vecchiarini M., Gast J., Campopiano G., De Massis A., & Kraus S. (2018). Innovation in family firms: A systematic literature review and guid-ance for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews. In press.
Carrillo-Hermosilla, J., Del Río, P., & Könnölä, T. (2010). Diversity of eco-innovations: Reflections from selected case studies. Journal of cleaner production, 18(10-11), 1073-1083.
Classen, N., Carree, M., Van Gils, A., & Peters, B. (2014). Innovation in family and non-family SMEs: an exploratory analysis. Small Business Econom-ics, 42(3), 595-609.
Chrisman, J. J., & Patel, P. C. (2012). Variations in R&D investments of family and nonfamily firms: Behavioral agency and myopic loss aversion per-spectives. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 976-997.
Chua, J. H., Chrisman, J. J., & Sharma, P. (1999). Defining the family business by behavior. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 23(4), 19-39.
De Massis, A., Audretsch, D., Uhlaner, L., & Kammerlander, N. (2018). Innova-tion with limited resources: Management lessons from the German Mittel-stand. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 35(1), 125-146.
De Massis A., Di Minin A., & Frattini F. (2015). Family-driven innovation: Resolv-ing the paradox in family firms. California Management Review, 58(1), 5-19.
De Massis, A., Frattini, F., & Lichtenthaler, U. (2013). Research on technological innovation in family firms: Present debates and future directions. Family Business Review, 26(1), 10-31.
De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Kotlar, J., Petruzzelli, A. M., & Wright, M. (2016). In-novation through tradition: Lessons from innovative family businesses and directions for future research. Academy of Management Perspec-tives, 30(1), 93-116.
De Massis, A., Kotlar, J., Frattini, F., Chrisman, J. J., & Nordqvist, M. (2016). Family governance at work: Organizing for new product development in family SMEs. Family Business Review, 29(2), 189-213.
De Massis, A., Rovelli, P. (2019). Innovation in family firms and SMEs: distinc-tive features and research challenges. In U. Hytti, R. Blackburne, E. Laveren (Eds.). Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Education. Frontiers in European Entrepreneurship Research, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Dettori, A., Dessì, C., Floris, M. (2020) Innovation within tradition: Interesting in-sights from two small family bakeries. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
Duran, P., Kammerlander, N., Van Essen, M., & Zellweger, T. (2016). Doing more with less: Innovation input and output in family firms. Academy of Man-agement Journal, 59(4), 1224-1264.
Erdogan, I., Rondi, E., & De Massis, A. (2019). Managing the tradition and inno-vation paradox in family firms: A family imprinting perspec-tive. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 44(1), 20-54.
Feranita, F., Kotlar, J., De Massis, A. (2017). Collaborative innovation in family firms: Past research, current debates and agenda for future research. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 8(3), 137-156.
Freeman, J., Carroll, G. R., & Hannan, M. T. (1983). The liability of newness: Age dependence in organizational death rates. American Sociological Review, 48, 692-710.
Gjergji, R., Lazzarotti, V., Visconti, F., Garcia-Marco, L. (2020) Technological in-novation performance and business-partner collaborations in family firms. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
Jaskiewicz, P., Combs, J. G., Shanine, K. K., & Kacmar, K. M. (2017). Introduc-ing the family: A review of family science with implications for manage-ment research. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 309-341.
Kellermanns, F. W., Eddleston, K. A., Sarathy, R., & Murphy, F. (2012). Innova-tiveness in family firms: A family influence perspective. Small Business Economics, 38(1), 85-101.
König, A., Kammerlander, N., & Enders, A. (2013). The family innovator's dilem-ma: How family influence affects the adoption of discontinuous technolo-gies by incumbent firms. Academy of Management Review, 38(3), 418-441.
Kwon, S-W., Rondi, E., Levin, D., De Massis, A., Brass, D. (2020). Network bro-kerage: An integrative review and future research agenda. Journal of Man-agement. In press
Kotlar, J., De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Bianchi, M. and Fang, H. (2013), “Technol-ogy acquisition in family and nonfamily firms: a longitudinal analysis of Spanish manufacturing firms”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 1073-1088.
Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K., Majchrzak, A., & Song, M. (2017). Digital Innovation Management: Reinventing innovation management research in a digital world. Mis Quarterly, 41(1).
Röd, I. (2016). Disentangling the family firm’s innovation process: A systematic review. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 7(3), 185-201.
Rondi, E., De Massis, A., & Kotlar, J. (2019). Unlocking innovation potential: A typology of family business innovation postures and the critical role of the family system. Journal of Family Business Strategy. 10(4), 1-13.
Rosenkopf, L., & Almeida, P. (2003). Overcoming local search through alliances and mobility. Management science, 49(6), 751-766.
Sciascia, S., Clinton, E., Nason, R., James, A. and Rivera-Algarin, J. (2013). Family Communication and Innovativeness in Family Firms. Family Rela-tions, 62 (3), 429-442.
Sciascia, S., Nordqvist, M., Mazzola, P., & De Massis, A. (2015). Family owner-ship and R&D intensity in small‐and medium‐sized firms. Journal of Prod-uct Innovation Management, 32(3), 349-360.
Stuart, T. E., & Podolny, J. M. (1996). Local search and the evolution of techno-logical capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S1), 21-38
Überbacher, R., Brozzi, R., Matt, D. (2020). Innovation in craftsmanship family SMEs in times of digitalization. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
Brinkerink, J., & Rondi, E. (2020). When can families fill voids? Firms’ reliance on formal and informal institutions in R&D decisions. Entrepreneurship Theo-ry and Practice. In press.
Calabrò A., Vecchiarini M., Gast J., Campopiano G., De Massis A., & Kraus S. (2018). Innovation in family firms: A systematic literature review and guid-ance for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews. In press.
Carrillo-Hermosilla, J., Del Río, P., & Könnölä, T. (2010). Diversity of eco-innovations: Reflections from selected case studies. Journal of cleaner production, 18(10-11), 1073-1083.
Classen, N., Carree, M., Van Gils, A., & Peters, B. (2014). Innovation in family and non-family SMEs: an exploratory analysis. Small Business Econom-ics, 42(3), 595-609.
Chrisman, J. J., & Patel, P. C. (2012). Variations in R&D investments of family and nonfamily firms: Behavioral agency and myopic loss aversion per-spectives. Academy of Management Journal, 55(4), 976-997.
Chua, J. H., Chrisman, J. J., & Sharma, P. (1999). Defining the family business by behavior. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 23(4), 19-39.
De Massis, A., Audretsch, D., Uhlaner, L., & Kammerlander, N. (2018). Innova-tion with limited resources: Management lessons from the German Mittel-stand. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 35(1), 125-146.
De Massis A., Di Minin A., & Frattini F. (2015). Family-driven innovation: Resolv-ing the paradox in family firms. California Management Review, 58(1), 5-19.
De Massis, A., Frattini, F., & Lichtenthaler, U. (2013). Research on technological innovation in family firms: Present debates and future directions. Family Business Review, 26(1), 10-31.
De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Kotlar, J., Petruzzelli, A. M., & Wright, M. (2016). In-novation through tradition: Lessons from innovative family businesses and directions for future research. Academy of Management Perspec-tives, 30(1), 93-116.
De Massis, A., Kotlar, J., Frattini, F., Chrisman, J. J., & Nordqvist, M. (2016). Family governance at work: Organizing for new product development in family SMEs. Family Business Review, 29(2), 189-213.
De Massis, A., Rovelli, P. (2019). Innovation in family firms and SMEs: distinc-tive features and research challenges. In U. Hytti, R. Blackburne, E. Laveren (Eds.). Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Education. Frontiers in European Entrepreneurship Research, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham
Dettori, A., Dessì, C., Floris, M. (2020) Innovation within tradition: Interesting in-sights from two small family bakeries. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
Duran, P., Kammerlander, N., Van Essen, M., & Zellweger, T. (2016). Doing more with less: Innovation input and output in family firms. Academy of Man-agement Journal, 59(4), 1224-1264.
Erdogan, I., Rondi, E., & De Massis, A. (2019). Managing the tradition and inno-vation paradox in family firms: A family imprinting perspec-tive. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 44(1), 20-54.
Feranita, F., Kotlar, J., De Massis, A. (2017). Collaborative innovation in family firms: Past research, current debates and agenda for future research. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 8(3), 137-156.
Freeman, J., Carroll, G. R., & Hannan, M. T. (1983). The liability of newness: Age dependence in organizational death rates. American Sociological Review, 48, 692-710.
Gjergji, R., Lazzarotti, V., Visconti, F., Garcia-Marco, L. (2020) Technological in-novation performance and business-partner collaborations in family firms. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
Jaskiewicz, P., Combs, J. G., Shanine, K. K., & Kacmar, K. M. (2017). Introduc-ing the family: A review of family science with implications for manage-ment research. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 309-341.
Kellermanns, F. W., Eddleston, K. A., Sarathy, R., & Murphy, F. (2012). Innova-tiveness in family firms: A family influence perspective. Small Business Economics, 38(1), 85-101.
König, A., Kammerlander, N., & Enders, A. (2013). The family innovator's dilem-ma: How family influence affects the adoption of discontinuous technolo-gies by incumbent firms. Academy of Management Review, 38(3), 418-441.
Kwon, S-W., Rondi, E., Levin, D., De Massis, A., Brass, D. (2020). Network bro-kerage: An integrative review and future research agenda. Journal of Man-agement. In press
Kotlar, J., De Massis, A., Frattini, F., Bianchi, M. and Fang, H. (2013), “Technol-ogy acquisition in family and nonfamily firms: a longitudinal analysis of Spanish manufacturing firms”, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 1073-1088.
Nambisan, S., Lyytinen, K., Majchrzak, A., & Song, M. (2017). Digital Innovation Management: Reinventing innovation management research in a digital world. Mis Quarterly, 41(1).
Röd, I. (2016). Disentangling the family firm’s innovation process: A systematic review. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 7(3), 185-201.
Rondi, E., De Massis, A., & Kotlar, J. (2019). Unlocking innovation potential: A typology of family business innovation postures and the critical role of the family system. Journal of Family Business Strategy. 10(4), 1-13.
Rosenkopf, L., & Almeida, P. (2003). Overcoming local search through alliances and mobility. Management science, 49(6), 751-766.
Sciascia, S., Clinton, E., Nason, R., James, A. and Rivera-Algarin, J. (2013). Family Communication and Innovativeness in Family Firms. Family Rela-tions, 62 (3), 429-442.
Sciascia, S., Nordqvist, M., Mazzola, P., & De Massis, A. (2015). Family owner-ship and R&D intensity in small‐and medium‐sized firms. Journal of Prod-uct Innovation Management, 32(3), 349-360.
Stuart, T. E., & Podolny, J. M. (1996). Local search and the evolution of techno-logical capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S1), 21-38
Überbacher, R., Brozzi, R., Matt, D. (2020). Innovation in craftsmanship family SMEs in times of digitalization. Piccola Impresa/Small Business. In press
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