Family firm internationalization and top management team collaboration: Roles, emotional attachment, and risk perceptions

Abstract

This study examines how collaboration within top management teams (TMTs) composed of family owner-managers (FOMs) and nonfamily managers (NFMs) influences internationalization decisions. Based on a qualitative multi-case study, we identify four roles taken by TMT members: drivers (typically FOMs), experts (both FOMs and NFMs), boundary spanners (typically NFMs), and administrators (typically NFMs). We theorize how congruence regarding roles, emotional attachment, and risk perception fosters internationalization decisions, whereas frictions arise in case of incongruence and hinder decision-making. The study contributes to research on family firm internationalization and to emerging research on TMT structure.