Family businesses are faced with many factors that either facilitate or restrain internationalization. The company's strategy, organizational structure, culture, and developmental stage are intertwined with the family's international characteristics, and each area involves different facilitating or restraining factors. This article, based on experience, previous studies, and a series of interviews, examines internationalization in family businesses. The authors suggest that if the company is unable to take advantage of the factors that facilitate internationalization or overcome the factors that restrain it, the process will probably fail.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abell, D. F.Defining the Business: The Starting Point of Strategic Planning. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1980.
2.
Davis, J., and Tagiuri, R.Life Stages and Father-Son Work Relationships. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1982.
3.
Gallo, M. A.“The Role of the General Manager in the First Stages of Internationalization.” Research paper, no. 145. Barcelona: IESE, 1988.
4.
Gallo, M. A., and Garcia Pont, C.“The Family Business in the Spanish Economy.” Research paper, no. 144. Barcelona: IESE, 1988.
5.
Hax, A. C., and Majluf, N. S.Strategic Management: An Integrative Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1984.
6.
Hymer, S. M.The International Operations of National Firms. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1976.
7.
Johanson, J., and Vahlne, J. E.“The Internationalization Process of the Firm: A Model of Knowledge Development and Increasing Market Commitments.”Journal of International Business Studies, 1977, 8 (1).
8.
Porter, M.Competition in Global Industries. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1986.
9.
Schein, E. H.Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987.
10.
Ward, J. L.Keeping the Family Business Healthy: How to Plan for Continuing Growth, Profitability, and Family Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.
11.
Ward, J. L., and Handy, J. L.“A Survey of Board Practices.”Family Business Review, 1988, 1 (3), 289–308.
