IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ememar/v55y2023ics1566014122001078.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Origin matters: Institutional imprinting and family firm innovation in China

Author

Listed:
  • Cheng, Chen
  • Li, Wanrong
  • Liu, Guanchun
  • Liu, Yuanyuan

Abstract

During the early 1990s, a swathe of small state-owned enterprises (SOEs) was privatized as family businesses in China. This paper examines whether and how the origin (i.e., restructured vs. entrepreneurial) of family firms affects corporate innovation. Using the data of Chinese family firms from 2009 to 2018, we find that restructured family firms generate fewer patents generally than entrepreneurial family firms, but create more high-quality patents than their entrepreneurial counterparts. This effect is more pronounced for those family firms which had formerly been SOEs for a more extended period, without generational succession, and previously controlled by governments entirely. Further mechanism tests show that restructured family firms have a higher likelihood of hiring professional managers, are subject to less intervention from family members, and have fewer informal hierarchies, providing direct evidence for the institutional imprinting channel. Our findings suggest that the institutional imprint underlying the origin of family firms can be critical to their innovation decisions.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheng, Chen & Li, Wanrong & Liu, Guanchun & Liu, Yuanyuan, 2023. "Origin matters: Institutional imprinting and family firm innovation in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1566014122001078
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2022.100990
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566014122001078
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ememar.2022.100990?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Holmstrom, Bengt, 1989. "Agency costs and innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 305-327, December.
    2. Maria Rosaria Carillo & Vincenzo Lombardo & Alberto Zazzaro, 2019. "The rise and fall of family firms in the process of development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 43-78, March.
    3. Cai, Xiqian & Lu, Yi & Wu, Mingqin & Yu, Linhui, 2016. "Does environmental regulation drive away inbound foreign direct investment? Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment in China," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 73-85.
    4. Greenhalgh, Christine & Rogers, Mark, 2006. "The value of innovation: The interaction of competition, R&D and IP," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 562-580, May.
    5. Discua Cruz, Allan & Hamilton, Eleanor & Jack, Sarah L., 2012. "Understanding entrepreneurial cultures in family businesses: A study of family entrepreneurial teams in Honduras," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(3), pages 147-161.
    6. Bunkanwanicha, Pramuan & Fan, Joseph P. H. & Wiwattanakantang, Yupana, 2013. "The Value of Marriage to Family Firms," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 611-636, April.
    7. Li, Qing & Hu, Dezhuang & Li, Tang, 2022. "The innovation of family firms in China: New evidence from the China employer-employee survey," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Xu, Yiqing & Yao, Yang, 2015. "Informal Institutions, Collective Action, and Public Investment in Rural China," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 109(2), pages 371-391, May.
    9. Choi, Suk Bong & Lee, Soo Hee & Williams, Christopher, 2011. "Ownership and firm innovation in a transition economy: Evidence from China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 441-452, April.
    10. Rafael La Porta & Florencio Lopez‐De‐Silanes & Andrei Shleifer, 1999. "Corporate Ownership Around the World," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 54(2), pages 471-517, April.
    11. Cao, Xiaping & Cumming, Douglas & Zhou, Sili, 2020. "State ownership and corporate innovative efficiency," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    12. Cheng, Chen & Li, Siming & Han, Jiajun, 2022. "Origin matters: How does institution imprint affect family business TFP?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    13. Mathias, Blake D. & Williams, David W. & Smith, Adam R., 2015. "Entrepreneurial inception: The role of imprinting in entrepreneurial action," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 11-28.
    14. Gao, Huasheng & Hsu, Po-Hsuan & Li, Kai, 2018. "Innovation Strategy of Private Firms," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 53(1), pages 1-32, February.
    15. Block, Joern H., 2012. "R&D investments in family and founder firms: An agency perspective," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 248-265.
    16. Thomas J. Chemmanur & Elena Loutskina & Xuan Tian, 2014. "Corporate Venture Capital, Value Creation, and Innovation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(8), pages 2434-2473.
    17. Joseph P. H. Fan & Qiankun Gu & Xin Yu, 2022. "Collectivist Cultures and the Emergence of Family Firms," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65(S1), pages 293-325.
    18. Li, Yi & Zhang, Wei, 2021. "Another game in town: Spillover effects of IPOs in China," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    19. Dibrell, Clay & Moeller, Miriam, 2011. "The impact of a service-dominant focus strategy and stewardship culture on organizational innovativeness in family-owned businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 43-51, March.
    20. Popli, Manish & Raithatha, Mehul & Fuad, Mohammad, 2021. "Impact of institutional imprinting on the persistence of superior profits: A study of regulatory punctuation in India," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 223-235.
    21. Eng, Li Li & Fang, Hanqing & Tian, Xi & Yu, T. Robert, 2021. "Path dependence and resource availability: Process of innovation activities in Chinese family and non-family firms," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    22. Zahra, Shaker A. & Neubaum, Donald O. & Larraneta, Barbara, 2007. "Knowledge sharing and technological capabilities: The moderating role of family involvement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1070-1079, October.
    23. Holmström, Bengt, 1989. "Agency Costs and Innovation," Working Paper Series 214, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    24. Chang, Xin & Fu, Kangkang & Low, Angie & Zhang, Wenrui, 2015. "Non-executive employee stock options and corporate innovation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(1), pages 168-188.
    25. Irmak Erdogan & Emanuela Rondi & Alfredo De Massis, 2020. "Managing the Tradition and Innovation Paradox in Family Firms: A Family Imprinting Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(1), pages 20-54, January.
    26. Morten Bennedsen & Kasper Meisner Nielsen & Francisco Perez-Gonzalez & Daniel Wolfenzon, 2007. "Inside the Family Firm: The Role of Families in Succession Decisions and Performance," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(2), pages 647-691.
    27. Zhong Qin & Xin Deng, 2016. "Government and family Guanxi in Chinese private firms: perceptions and preference," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 35-60, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Shengbin & Jin, Junheng & Li, Haoze, 2023. "Family nonexecutive directors, professional managers, and investment in family firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lin, Yongjia & Fu, Xiaoqing & Fu, Xiaolan, 2021. "Varieties in state capitalism and corporate innovation: Evidence from an emerging economy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    2. Wenlong He & Zi-Lin He & Tony W. Tong, 2020. "Ownership Change and Firm Innovation: The Mediating Role of Interest Alignment," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 17-38, March.
    3. Ho, Po-Hsin & Huang, Chia-Wei & Lin, Chih-Yung & Yen, Ju-Fang, 2024. "Risk culture in corporate innovation," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    4. Migliori, Stefania & De Massis, Alfredo & Maturo, Fabrizio & Paolone, Francesco, 2020. "How does family management affect innovation investment propensity? The key role of innovation impulses," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 243-256.
    5. Qing Wan & Xiaoke Cheng & Kam C. Chan & Shenghao Gao, 2021. "Born to innovate? The birth‐order effect of CEOs on corporate innovation," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(9-10), pages 1846-1888, October.
    6. Daniel Shapiro & Yao Tang & Miaojun Wang & Weiying Zhang, 2017. "Monetary incentives and innovation in Chinese SMEs," Asian Business & Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(3), pages 130-157, July.
    7. Huang, Yi-Hou & Liang, Woan-lih & Truong, Quang-Thai & Wang, Yanzhi, 2022. "No new tricks for old dogs? Old directors and innovation performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    8. Liu, Baohua & Sun, Pei-Yu & Zeng, Yongliang, 2020. "Employee-related corporate social responsibilities and corporate innovation: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 357-372.
    9. Pang, Caiji & Wang, Ying, 2020. "Stock pledge, risk of losing control and corporate innovation," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    10. Zhao, Qifeng & Li, Zhen & Yu, Yihua, 2021. "Does top management quality promote innovation? Firm-level evidence from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    11. Wang, Tao, 2023. "The ownership structure of corporate venture capital financing and innovation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    12. Ding, Xiaoya (Sara) & Guo, Mengmeng & Kuai, Yicheng & Niu, Geng, 2023. "Social trust and firm innovation: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 474-493.
    13. Byun, Seong, 2022. "The role of intrinsic incentives and corporate culture in motivating innovation," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    14. Francesca Maria Cesaroni & Gail Denisse Chamochumbi Diaz & Annalisa Sentuti, 2021. "Family Firms and Innovation from Founder to Successor," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, May.
    15. Chen Lin & Sibo Liu & Gustavo Manso, 2021. "Shareholder Litigation and Corporate Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(6), pages 3346-3367, June.
    16. Yang, Baochen & Song, Xinyu, 2023. "Does oil price uncertainty matter in firm innovation? Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    17. Cucculelli, Marco & Peruzzi, Valentina, 2020. "Innovation over the industry life-cycle. Does ownership matter?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(1).
    18. Liu, Guanchun & Lu, Di & Yang, Jinyu, 2023. "Innovation for promotion: The effect of executive involvement on inventors' innovation choice," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    19. Nguyen, Lily & Vu, Le & Yin, Xiangkang, 2020. "The undesirable effect of audit quality: Evidence from firm innovation," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    20. Boubakri, Narjess & Chkir, Imed & Saadi, Samir & Zhu, Hui, 2021. "Does national culture affect corporate innovation? International evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family firm origin; Corporate innovation; Institutional imprinting; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • M11 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Production Management

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1566014122001078. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620356 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.