Amy Ingram

Paradoxes and Innovation in Family Firms: The Role of Paradoxical Thinking

Scholars stress that family firms are inherently paradoxical, and that tensions, such as tradition versus change, family liquidity versus business growth, and founder control versus successor autonomy, can both inhibit and foster innovation. Further, theorists propose that firms led by paradoxical thinkers are more likely to manage these tensions and fuel innovative behavior. Leveraging family business and organizational paradox literatures, this multi–stage exploratory study develops measures of paradoxical tensions and paradoxical thinking in family firms, and tests these propositions. Findings indicate that paradoxical tensions may stymie innovative behavior, but that leaders’ paradoxical thinking is positively related to innovative behavior.

Modesty in the Top Management Team Investor Reaction and Performance Implications

Much of the recent research on executive characteristics focuses on attributes that society tends to view negatively, such as self-interest, self-serving bias, and narcissism. While providing insights into how executives’ impact organizational outcomes, there may be attributes more positively viewed by society present in top management teams (TMTs) that have been overlooked, specifically TMT modesty. Though modesty deviates from the conventional view of executives, evidence from social psychology suggests that modesty positively impacts career success and upward mobility, suggesting that at least some individuals that rise to the level of the TMT are more modest than previously expected. Building on this insight, we argue that TMT modesty both elicits positive investor reactions following earnings calls and corresponds with higher levels of firm performance.

The entrepreneurial gender divide: Hegemonic masculinity, emphasized femininity and organizational forms

Purpose This paper aims to examine the interplay among forms of entrepreneurship and the gendered entrepreneurial divide. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and the World Values Survey (WVS), the authors investigate the likelihood that females will venture in the commercial entrepreneurial ventures versus social entrepreneurial ventures. The authors draw on the theoretical concept of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity to explain gender variance in the organizational forms of commercial and social entrepreneurship. Specifically, the authors investigate whether pursuing an opportunity in a society that highly values ideologies of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity impacts the probability of venturing in either of these kinds of organizations. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, the authors use GEM data from 2009 (n = 14,399) for nascent entrepreneurs and baby businesses owners in 55 counties. They also use the WVS to measure the ideologies of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity at the country level. The authors estimate a logistic multilevel model to identify the drivers of social venturing over commercial venturing. Data are nested by countries, and the authors allow random intercepts by countries with a variance components covariance structure. Findings The findings demonstrate that there is a divide in entrepreneurial activity, as women entrepreneurs are more likely to start social ventures than commercial ventures. They also find that hegemonic masculinity decreases the incidence of social entrepreneurship, whereas emphasized femininity increases the incidence of social entrepreneurship. Moreover, the authors find evidence that women in societies with a strong view on hegemonic masculinity are less likely to pursue social organizational forms than male entrepreneurs are. Furthermore, in societies with strong views of emphasized femininity, the probability increases that female founders will pursue social organizational forms. The findings highlight the considerable impact of the gender ideologies on entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications Although the authors use the terms “gender” and “sex” in this paper interchangeably, they recognize that these two terms are not equivalent. For the purposes of this manuscript, the authors use a gender analysis approach activity based on biological sex to investigate empirical differences in entrepreneurial. The findings suggest that women ultimately, and unintentionally, are consenting to the practices and norms that reiterate the masculinity of entrepreneurship. In this way, the patriarchal ideologies of hegemonic masculinity and masculinization of entrepreneurship ultimately leave women unable to fully take up the identity of “woman” alongside that of “entrepreneur”. Future research can build upon our findings by applying a more nuanced view of gender via constructivist approaches. Originality/value The findings empirically demonstrate the gendered nature of entrepreneurial activity, leading to specific stereotypical female social organizational forms and male commercial organizational forms. Furthermore, the authors are able to provide theoretical explanations based on hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity to understand why social entrepreneurship appeals to women.

The Signaling Role of Politician Stock Ownership Effects on Lobbying Intensity

Adopting a signaling theory perspective, we argue that politician stock ownership sends signals of positive predispositions to firms, thereby alleviating some necessity for firms to emphasize lobbying expenditures to influence political action. Using data on congressional stock ownership, we find support for our arguments. We find that as the proportion of Congress owning stock in a firm increases, the firm decreases the intensity of lobbying. Furthermore, we find that the signals associated with stock-holding politicians with greater ability to affect the legislative agenda (i.e., affiliation with the majority party) relates to lobbying intensity. Our findings add to the literature on lobbying while also offering implications for practice and avenues for future research.

How do foreign initial public offerings attract investor attention? A study of the impact of language

Language is increasingly recognized as having the ability to shape strategic outcomes. To understand language’s impact in entrepreneurial settings, we study language in the context of foreign initial public offerings, a setting where organizations may suffer from both the liabilities of newness and foreignness. Our sample consists of the population of foreign initial public offerings debuting in the United States between 2001 and 2014, which collectively raised over US

How do Foreign IPOs Attract Investor Attention? A Study of the Impact of Language (WITHDRAWN)

60 billion in capital. We find that both new ventures’ and the media’s language impact investors by influencing the level of interest in the foreign initial public offerings. We also reveal that the media’s use of analogies plays a pivotal role in familiarizing and legitimizing unfamiliar organizations. Overall, our study offers insights into the power of words in managing the challenges associated with the liabilities of newness and foreignness.

Emotional Intelligence and Venture Performance

Language is increasingly recognized as having the ability to shape strategic outcomes. To understand language’s impact in entrepreneurial settings, we study language in the context of foreign initi...

'Rules of Conduct'; Applying Deference and Demeanor to Understand Status Inconsistency and Role Conflict in Family Firms

Scholars emphasize the importance of emotion in entrepreneurship and the potential of emotional intelligence, but research is sparse in the field. We develop and test a novel partial mediation model of emotional intelligence, interpersonal processes, and venture performance. The results indicate that interpersonal emotional skills, which entail the recognition and management of emotions in others, has a direct effect on venture performance, but intrapersonal emotional skills pertaining to self‐awareness and regulation of emotions do not. Additionally, both the intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions of emotional intelligence have an indirect influence on firm performance via interpersonal processes that entail functioning in key activities within the firm. We discuss the implications and address potential avenues for future research on this important topic.

Are Women More Likely to Pursue Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship

Erving Goffmans analysis of everyday life interaction rituals as significant social ceremonies (Goffman, 1963:8; 1956:473, 499; 1971: 62-65) is the foundation for the propositions presented in the paper. Applying the concepts of deference and demeanor developed by Goffman (1956), this paper will explore how the “rules of conduct” in regards to managing social position within family businesses may lead to conflict as a result of status inconsistency and role conflict. Subsequently, a typology is provided in which dysfunctional conflict may be managed by family firms based on the degree of individual deference or demeanor.