Title: Exploring entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: the relevance of social embeddedness in competition

Authors: Andreas Kallmuenzer; Mike Peters

Addresses: SME and Tourism, Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism, School of Management, University of Innsbruck, Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria ' SME and Tourism, Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism, School of Management, University of Innsbruck, Karl-Rahner-Platz 3, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Abstract: This article investigates the peculiarity of entrepreneurial attitudes in family firms and how they are perceived to impact performance by qualitatively analysing 25 narrative in-depth interviews with family owner-managers in the state of Tyrol, Austria. Contributing to the transmission of the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) construct in family firms, this study adds a thicker description of entrepreneurial attitudes in the family firm context. Findings indicate that aggressive competition contradicts the social embeddedness of family firms and has negative consequences for the family and the firm. The interviewees emphasise non-financial performance goals as drivers of their EO, their social responsibility as a family firm, the embeddedness in regional communities and the importance to be respected by the society.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; family firms; qualitative research; competitive aggressiveness; social embeddedness; entrepreneurship; competition; family business; entrepreneurial attitudes; Austria; non-financial performance; firm performance; performance goals; social responsibility; regional communities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2017.081436

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2017 Vol.30 No.2, pp.191 - 213

Received: 22 Apr 2015
Accepted: 22 Sep 2015
Published online: 08 Jan 2017 *

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