RT Journal Article
T1 When family social capital is too much of a good thing
A1 Herrero, Inés
A1 Hughes, Mathew
K1 Social capital
K1 Family social capital
K1 Family firms
K1 Networks
K1 Family functioning
K1 Boundary spanning
K1 Curvilinear relationships
K1 Firm performance
AB Family social capital (FSC) is theoretically predicted to benefit family firm performance, but empirical results repeatedly disappoint this expectation. To bridge the disconnect between theory and empirical evidence, we conceptualize FSC as a multidimensional construct in which its dimensions exhibit a mix of positive and negative consequences resulting in a ‘too much of a good thing’ effect. At high levels, the structural, the structural dimension of FSC can cause the family firm to form a structured group and become trapped in its established networks, preventing new knowledge from entering the family firm. With a hand-collected dataset, we test a curvilinear relationship between the structural dimension of FSC and family firm financial performance, and linear effects from its relational and cognitive dimensions. We further examine whether possessing organizational social capital (OSC) mitigates the negative consequences of high FSC. We reveal that the form and combination of FSC matters more than its amount. We contribute to theory a co-dependent view of FSC and OSC (as two different social capitals) that appreciates their concurrent effects.
PB Elsevier
YR 2019
FD 2019-01-01
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/19716
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/19716
LA en
NO Herrero, I., & Hughes, M. (2019). When family social capital is too much of a good thing. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 10(3), 100271.
NO PRX14/00180 and ECO2016-75047-P
NO Departamento de Organización de Empresas y mk-Grupo EFFAM
DS RIO
RD Apr 25, 2026