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The Impact of COVID-19 on the Internationalization Performance of Family Businesses: Evidence from Portugal

Author

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  • Ana Roque

    (Department of Business and Economics, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
    NECE-UBI Research Unit in Business Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

  • Maria-Ceu Alves

    (Department of Business and Economics, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
    NECE-UBI Research Unit in Business Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal)

Abstract

Drawing on the internationalization and family business literature, this preliminary and exploratory study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the internationalization performance of family firms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the internationalization strategy of Portuguese family firms. Using a questionnaire survey of private family firms, this paper adopts a quantitative approach. Our analysis of data from a single survey of 127 family firms shows that these firms mostly use the Uppsala model of internationalization. The results indicate that COVID-19 has a very negative and statistically significant impact on the different components of the internationalization performance of family businesses. This study contributes significantly to a better understanding of the impact of uncertainty caused by epidemiological scenarios on the strategy and performance of family firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Ana Roque & Maria-Ceu Alves, 2023. "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Internationalization Performance of Family Businesses: Evidence from Portugal," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:16:y:2023:i:12:p:511-:d:1296722
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    References listed on IDEAS

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