Claudia Cacia

A cross-cultural perspective of Family Business Groups.

ABSTRACT Around the world, some of the largest firms in many countries are controlled by family business groups such as Fiat in Italy, Ford in the US, Hutchison Whampoa in Hong Kong, Samsung in South Korea and many others. Further, many family groups have a long history. Although family business groups are a significant and long standing phenomenon in most parts of the world, their resilience to globalization in their use of different organizational structures have received little attention from a cross-cultural perspective. Drawing on our previous work, the study provides a theoretical framework to classify family business groups on the basis of their organizational choices from a cross-cultural perspective.

Mapping Family Business Groups from a Cross-Cultural Perspective

Around the world, some of the largest firms in many countries are controlled by family business groups (FBG), such as Fiat in Italy Ford in the US, Hutchison Whampoa in Hong Kong, Samsung in South Korea and many others. Further, many FBGs have a long history. Although FBGs are a significant and long-standing phenom en on, their in tern ationalization has received little a tten tionfrom a cross-cultural perspective. Drawing on our previous work, the study provides some preliminary findings on FBGs’ internationalization strategy from a cross-cultural perspective.