IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/fambus/v7y2016i1p34-46.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge sharing in small family firms: A leadership perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Cunningham, James
  • Seaman, Claire
  • McGuire, David

Abstract

Knowledge sharing is considered critical in the development of a knowledge resource to contribute to the strategic development of the firm. However, how this key organisational activity takes place in small family firms is unknown, as much of the surrounding literature focuses on large, nonfamily-oriented firms. This mixed-methods article investigates the nature of knowledge sharing in small family firms, and explores the role of the influence of family in knowledge resource development. Quantitative findings (n=110) acknowledge heterogeneity of leadership style in small family firms and identify two distinct ways in which knowledge sharing activities are approached; while qualitative data (n=26) examine implications for individual knowledge sharing and the role that family plays. This article contributes to both the family business and knowledge sharing literature and outlines implications for the way in which small family firms view the development of their knowledge resource.

Suggested Citation

  • Cunningham, James & Seaman, Claire & McGuire, David, 2016. "Knowledge sharing in small family firms: A leadership perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 34-46.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:7:y:2016:i:1:p:34-46
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2015.10.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858515000509
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfbs.2015.10.002?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. Franz Kellermanns & Kimberly Eddleston & Ravi Sarathy & Fran Murphy, 2012. "Innovativeness in family firms: a family influence perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 85-101, January.
    2. Henry Kaiser, 1958. "The varimax criterion for analytic rotation in factor analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 23(3), pages 187-200, September.
    3. Paul Westhead & Carole Howorth, 2007. "‘Types’ of private family firms: an exploratory conceptual and empirical analysis," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(5), pages 405-431, September.
    4. Kijpokin Kasemsap, 2013. "Strategic Human Resource Practice: A Functional Framework and Causal Model of Leadership Behavior, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Job Performance," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 4(5), pages 198-204.
    5. Lee Cronbach, 1951. "Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 16(3), pages 297-334, September.
    6. Laurie P. Milton, 2008. "Unleashing the Relationship Power of Family Firms: Identity Confirmation as a Catalyst for Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 1063-1081, November.
    7. Tejinder K. Billing & Rabi S. Bhagat & Emin Babakus, 2013. "Task structure and work outcomes," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 36(2), pages 136-152, January.
    8. Carlo Salvato & Francesco Chirico & Pramodita Sharma, 2010. "A farewell to the business: Championing exit and continuity in entrepreneurial family firms," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(3-4), pages 321-348, May.
    9. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Lloyd P. Steier & Sabine B. Rau, 2012. "Sources of Heterogeneity in Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1103-1113, November.
    10. Michael D. Ensley & Allison W. Pearson, 2005. "An Exploratory Comparison of the Behavioral Dynamics of Top Management Teams in Family and Nonfamily New Ventures: Cohesion, Conflict, Potency, and Consensus," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(3), pages 267-284, May.
    11. David G. Sirmon & Michael A. Hitt, 2003. "Managing Resources: Linking Unique Resources, Management, and Wealth Creation in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 339-358, October.
    12. Christina Matz Carnes & R. Duane Ireland, 2013. "Familiness and Innovation: Resource Bundling as the Missing Link," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(6), pages 1399-1419, November.
    13. Mitchell, Ronald K. & Morse, Eric A. & Sharma, Pramodita, 2003. "The transacting cognitions of nonfamily employees in the family businesses setting," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 533-551, July.
    14. Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle & Miller, Danny & Bares, Franck, 2015. "Governance and entrepreneurship in family firms: Agency, behavioral agency and resource-based comparisons," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 58-62.
    15. Valeriano Sanchez-Famoso & Amaia Maseda, 2014. "The Role of Social Capital in Family Firms to Explain the Innovation Capabilities in Recession Time: An Empirical Study," Springer Books, in: Klaus Rüdiger & Marta Peris Ortiz & Alicia Blanco González (ed.), Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Crisis, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 77-84, Springer.
    16. Jean‐Luc Arregle & Michael A. Hitt & David G. Sirmon & Philippe Very, 2007. "The Development of Organizational Social Capital: Attributes of Family Firms," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 73-95, January.
    17. Allison W. Pearson & Jon C. Carr & John C. Shaw, 2008. "Toward a Theory of Familiness: A Social Capital Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 949-969, November.
    18. Franz W. Kellermanns & Kimberly A. Eddleston, 2004. "Feuding Families: When Conflict Does a Family Firm Good," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(3), pages 209-228, May.
    19. Shaker A. Zahra & Igor Filatotchev, 2004. "Governance of the Entrepreneurial Threshold Firm: A Knowledge‐based Perspective," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(5), pages 885-897, July.
    20. Cristina Cruz & Mattias Nordqvist, 2012. "Entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: a generational perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 33-49, January.
    21. 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.
    22. Jean-Luc Arrègle & Michael Hitt & David Sirmon & Philippe Véry, 2007. "The Development of Organizational Social Capital : Attributes of Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02312687, HAL.
    23. Miller, Danny & Steier, Lloyd & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle, 2003. "Lost in time: intergenerational succession, change, and failure in family business," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 513-531, July.
    24. Mojca Duh & Jernej Belak & Borut Milfelner, 2010. "Core Values, Culture and Ethical Climate as Constitutional Elements of Ethical Behaviour: Exploring Differences Between Family and Non-Family Enterprises," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 97(3), pages 473-489, December.
    25. Henry Kaiser, 1974. "An index of factorial simplicity," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 39(1), pages 31-36, March.
    26. Georg von Krogh & Ikujiro Nonaka & Lise Rechsteiner, 2012. "Leadership in Organizational Knowledge Creation: A Review and Framework," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 240-277, January.
    27. Stewart Clegg & David Courpasson & Nelson Phillips, 2006. "Power and organizations," Post-Print hal-02298067, HAL.
    28. Amy C. Edmondson, 2002. "The Local and Variegated Nature of Learning in Organizations: A Group-Level Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 128-146, April.
    29. Tim Barnett & Franz W. Kellermanns, 2006. "Are We Family and Are We Treated as Family? Nonfamily Employees’ Perceptions of Justice in the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 837-854, November.
    30. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Erich B. Bergiel, 2009. "An Agency Theoretic Analysis of the Professionalized Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(2), pages 355-372, March.
    31. Pankaj C. Patel & James O. Fiet, 2011. "Knowledge Combination and the Potential Advantages of Family Firms in Searching for Opportunities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(6), pages 1179-1197, November.
    32. Harrison, Robert L., 2013. "Using mixed methods designs in the Journal of Business Research, 1990–2010," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2153-2162.
    33. Mussolino, Donata & Calabrò, Andrea, 2014. "Paternalistic leadership in family firms: Types and implications for intergenerational succession," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 197-210.
    34. Timothy G. Habbershon, 2006. "Commentary: A Framework for Managing the Familiness and Agency Advantages in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 879-886, November.
    35. Claire Seaman & Stuart Graham & Peter Falconer & Martin Stepek, 2010. "Exploring Scottish family businesses: economy, geography and community," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 9(2), pages 201-212.
    36. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Pramodita Sharma, 2005. "Trends and Directions in the Development of a Strategic Management Theory of the Family Firm," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(5), pages 555-575, September.
    37. Neri Karra & Paul Tracey & Nelson Phillips, 2006. "Altruism and Agency in the Family Firm: Exploring the Role of Family, Kinship, and Ethnicity," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 861-877, November.
    38. Wen-Bao Lin, 2013. "Research on knowledge sharing and interpersonal relationships: empirical study of family firms and non-family firms," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 151-166, 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. Miruna Radu-Lefebvre & James Davis & William Gartner, 2024. "Legacy in Family Business: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda," Post-Print hal-04515862, HAL.
    2. Fries, Alexander & Kammerlander, Nadine & Leitterstorf, Max, 2021. "Leadership Styles and Leadership Behaviors in Family Firms: A Systematic Literature Review," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    3. Samir Hammami & Omar Durrah & Syed Ahsan Jamil & Mohammedosman Eltigani, 2022. "Engaging Knowledge Capabilities to Sustain the Application of Information Technology Governance in Healthcare Institutions," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(4), pages 21582440221, October.
    4. Dianne H. B. Welsh & Eugene Kaciak, 2019. "Family enrichment and women entrepreneurial success: the mediating effect of family interference," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(4), pages 1045-1075, December.
    5. Csillag Sára & Csizmadia Péter & Hidegh Anna Laura & Szászvári Karina Ágnes, 2019. "Typical features of family-owned SME’s HR practices," Prosperitas, Budapest Business School, vol. 2019(1), pages 55-75.
    6. Csillag Sára & Csizmadia Péter & Hidegh Anna Laura & Szászvári Karina Ágnes, 2019. "Typical features of family-owned SME’s HR practices," Prosperitas, Budapest Business University, vol. 6(1), pages 55-75.
    7. Zybura, Jan & Zybura, Nora & Ahrens, Jan-Philipp & Woywode, Michael, 2021. "Innovation in the post-succession phase of family firms: Family CEO successors and leadership constellations as resources," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    8. Juan Yang & Bo Pu & Zhenzhong Guan, 2019. "Entrepreneurial Leadership and Turnover Intention in Startups: Mediating Roles of Employees’ Job Embeddedness, Job Satisfaction and Affective Commitment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Kanadlı, Sadi Boĝaç & Torchia, Mariateresa & Gabaldon, Patricia & Calabrò, Andrea, 2020. "Effects of Task Conflict on Board Task Performance in Family Firms: The Importance of Board Openness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    10. Woodfield, Paul & Husted, Kenneth, 2017. "Intergenerational knowledge sharing in family firms: Case-based evidence from the New Zealand wine industry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 57-69.
    11. Gema García-Piqueres & Ana-M. Serrano-Bedia & Marta Pérez-Pérez, 2019. "Knowledge Management Practices and Innovation Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Risk-Taking and Proactiveness," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-22, September.
    12. Espeche, José Francisco Tragant & Sacristán-Navarro, María & Zúñiga-Vicente, José Ángel & Crespo, Nuno Fernandes, 2023. "Innovation and internationalisation during times of economic growth, crisis, and recovery prior to Covid-19: A configurational approach comparing Spanish manufacturing family and non-family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(1).
    13. Calabrò, Andrea & Frank, Hermann & Minichilli, Alessandro & Suess-Reyes, Julia, 2021. "Business families in times of crises: The backbone of family firm resilience and continuity," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).

    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. Sanchez-Famoso, Valeriano & Pittino, Daniel & Chirico, Francesco & Maseda, Amaia & Iturralde, Txomin, 2019. "Social capital and innovation in family firms: The moderating roles of family control and generational involvement," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(3).
    2. Ismael Barros-Contreras & Héctor Pérez-Fernández & Natalia Martín-Cruz & Juan Hernangómez B., 2023. "Can we make family social capital flourish? The moderating role of generational involvement," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 655-673, September.
    3. Francesco Chirico & Carlo Salvato, 2016. "Knowledge Internalization and Product Development in Family Firms: When Relational and Affective Factors Matter," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(1), pages 201-229, January.
    4. Unai Arzubiaga & Amaia Maseda & Txomin Iturralde, 2019. "Exploratory and exploitative innovation in family businesses: the moderating role of the family firm image and family involvement in top management," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-31, February.
    5. Randerson, Kathleen & Bettinelli, Cristina & Fayolle, Alain & Anderson, Alistair, 2015. "Family entrepreneurship as a field of research: Exploring its contours and contents," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(3), pages 143-154.
    6. Pittino, Daniel & Visintin, Francesca & Lenger, Tamara & Sternad, Dietmar, 2016. "Are high performance work practices really necessary in family SMEs? An analysis of the impact on employee retention," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 75-89.
    7. Pieper, Torsten M., 2010. "Non solus: Toward a psychology of family business," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 26-39, March.
    8. Kanadlı, Sadi Boĝaç & Torchia, Mariateresa & Gabaldon, Patricia & Calabrò, Andrea, 2020. "Effects of Task Conflict on Board Task Performance in Family Firms: The Importance of Board Openness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    9. Ismael Barros-Contreras & Jesús Manuel Palma-Ruiz & Angel Torres-Toukoumidis, 2021. "Organizational Capabilities for Family Firm Sustainability: The Role of Knowledge Accumulation and Family Essence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-17, May.
    10. Rajan, Bharath & Salunkhe, Uday & Kumar, V., 2023. "Understanding customer engagement in family firms: A conceptual framework," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    11. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Allison W. Pearson & Tim Barnett, 2012. "Family Involvement, Family Influence, and Family–Centered Non–Economic Goals in Small Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(2), pages 267-293, March.
    12. Cherchem, Naïma, 2017. "The relationship between organizational culture and entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: Does generational involvement matter?," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 87-98.
    13. Kraiczy, Nils D. & Hack, Andreas & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2014. "New product portfolio performance in family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1065-1073.
    14. Frank, Hermann & Lueger, Manfred & Nosé, Lavinia & Suchy, Daniela, 2010. "The concept of "Familiness": Literature review and systems theory-based reflections," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 119-130, September.
    15. Basco, Rodrigo, 2013. "The family's effect on family firm performance: A model testing the demographic and essence approaches," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 42-66.
    16. Islam, Nazrul & Wang, Qidong & Marinakis, Yorgos & Walsh, Steven, 2022. "Family enterprise and technological innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 208-221.
    17. James J. Chrisman & Lloyd P. Steier & Jess H. Chua, 2008. "Toward a Theoretical Basis for Understanding the Dynamics of Strategic Performance in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(6), pages 935-947, November.
    18. Pramodita Sharma & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2020. "Family Firm Behavior From a Psychological Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(1), pages 3-19, January.
    19. James J. Chrisman & Pramodita Sharma & Lloyd P. Steier & Jess H. Chua, 2013. "The Influence of Family Goals, Governance, and Resources on Firm Outcomes," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(6), pages 1249-1261, November.
    20. Daspit, Joshua J. & Long, Rebecca G. & Pearson, Allison W., 2019. "How familiness affects innovation outcomes via absorptive capacity: A dynamic capability perspective of the family firm," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 133-143.

    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:fambus:v:7:y:2016:i:1:p:34-46. 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/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/719791/description#description .

    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.