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Propensity to patent by family firms

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  • Bannò, Mariasole

Abstract

This paper provides new evidence of innovation processes in family firms by investigating their attitude toward the protection of innovation outputs. More specifically, the main objective is to understand, through the SEW (Socioemotional Wealth) lens, whether innovative family firms tend to use patents as a tool for protecting intellectual property. Based on a sample of 229 Italian companies that make R&D investments, our analysis highlights that degree of alignment with the family business model is a significant predictor of a firm’s attitude toward protecting innovation with patents, even though not all of the dimensions of a family business have the same effect. When disentangling the effect of three different indicators (i.e., family ownership, family governance and the presence of young successors), family involvement in the board of directors is a negative significant driver, the presence of young successors is a positive driver, and ownership has no effect.

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  • Bannò, Mariasole, 2016. "Propensity to patent by family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 238-248.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:7:y:2016:i:4:p:238-248
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2016.07.002
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    Cited by:

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    2. Francesco Chirico & Giuseppe Criaco & Massimo Baù & Lucia Naldi & Luis R. Gomez-Mejia & Josip Kotlar, 2020. "To patent or not to patent: That is the question. Intellectual property protection in family firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(2), pages 339-367, March.
    3. Francesco Aiello & Lidia Mannarino & Valeria Pupo, 2024. "Family firm heterogeneity and patenting. Revising the role of size and age," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(1), pages 105-133, June.
    4. Christopher Kurzhals & Lorenz Graf‐Vlachy & Andreas König, 2020. "Strategic leadership and technological innovation: A comprehensive review and research agenda," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 437-464, November.
    5. Boris Rumanko & Zuzana Lušňáková & Monika Moravanská & Mária Šajbidorová, 2021. "Succession as a Risk Process in the Survival of a Family Business—Case of Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, September.

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