Heterogeneity in Family Firms

Abstract
This research explores in greater depth the importance of considering the heterogeneity between family businesses so as to better understand the differences in their strategic behavior, performance and business results. With this, we attempt to contribute to the theories on the relationship between corporate governance and strategic management in the field of family business research. Our study identifies the different configurations that may be adopted in the ownership structures and the management and governance bodies of family firms, analyzing how these configurations are related to the firm’s strategic outcomes. Using a sample of 111 family firms, we perform a cluster analysis that allows us to determine distinct types of family businesses based on a set of dimensions regarding the characteristics of their governance bodies, both in business and in the family, as well as their ownership structure and degree of family involvement in management tasks. We then link the different types found with the profiles of managers, the repertoire of strategies used by these companies, and the differences in obtaining results in recent years.