José L. Barbero

A Configurational Approach of the Relationship Between Entrepreneurial Orientation and Growth of Family Firms

The present research aims to improve scholars’ understanding of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and the growth of family firms in two areas. The authors propose that the EO—growth relationship is contingent on different contextual variables—environmental dynamism and environmental hostility—and an internal variable—generational involvement. Also, they consider EO to be a composite construct integrated from and related to different independent dimensions. Using information from 317 Spanish family firms, results show that (a) EO positively influences growth only in second-generation family businesses, (b) the moderating influence of the generational involvement is related to the risk-taking dimension, and (c) dynamism and hostility of the environment, respectively, moderate the relationship between EO and growth in a positive sense.

Managerial capabilities and paths to growth as determinants of high-growth small and medium-sized enterprises

This article attempts to examine the role of management capabilities and their relationship with the form of growth chosen by high-growth businesses using a resource based view perspective. The results of the analysis show that when selecting the type of strategy to achieve high growth, not all the capabilities of management are important. In order to grow fast and intensively, small and medium-sized businesses should possess high capabilities in specific functional areas. Businesses’ marketing and financial capabilities are positively associated with market expansion and innovation and as such are two ingredients to achieve high growth.

Learning, unlearning and internationalisation: Evidence from the pre-export phase

The internationalisation process has been described as a process of learning under which a business increases its commitment abroad as the company acquires knowledge on new markets and on the nature of the process itself. The present work proposes a model that relates the possession of a base of knowledge originated in supra-organisational, organisational and individual sources, as the actively new decision of seeking knowledge related to the start of the exporting activity. Integrating the literature on the pre-export behaviour of the business and the theory of organisational learning, we propose that such relationship is influenced by two dimensions: the export intention and the context of unlearning. The sample included 103 SMEs in the pre-exporting phase. Results support the conception of the process of internationalisation as a process of learning under which a prior base of knowledge is combined with periods of unlearning and a search for new knowledge.

Retrenchment Strategies and Family Involvement: The Role of Survival Risk:

This article analyzes retrenchment strategies that family businesses adopt during periods of crisis. From a socioemotional wealth perspective, we propose that the influence of family board members and family CEOs on retrenchment depends on survival risk. We collected empirical data from companies on the Spanish Stock Exchange (2008-2012). Our findings reveal that family involvement intensifies retrenchment when performance is declining, and that retrenchment intensifies when survival is at risk. We also demonstrate that family firms are able to implement retrenchment measures when required to improve their performance.

The relationship between growth and volatility in small firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of predictors of growth (entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and environmental hostility) and growth itself on small-firm volatility. The objective is to find out: first, whether growth and volatility possess a similar nature; second, what are the predictors of small-firm volatility. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire data were collected from CEOs of 433 Spanish small firms (<500 employees) who provided qualitative as well as quantitative information. Findings – The authors find that some of the predictors on growth can also be used to predict firm volatility. Specifically, the authors find that firm volatility is influenced by EO and environmental hostility. Growth also influences firm volatility. The authors also find a strong interaction effect of growth and firm size on firm volatility. The authors conclude that although growth and firm volatility are related concepts, they are different. Originality/value – Growth has concentrated...