Surviving the coronavirus pandemic and beyond: Unlocking family firms’ innovation potential across crises

Abstract

In this research note, we examine Finnboat, a traditional Finnish family firm, from the interrelated perspectives of crisis behavior and innovation. The firm under study has endured three major crises: the economic recession of the 1990s, the 2008–2009 financial crisis, and the coronavirus pandemic. Our study shows that Finnboat has undertaken only very modest, if any, innovations during stable periods but has conducted a series of radical business-model and technology innovations, triggered by the different crises. This finding implies that during crises, a risk-averse family firm can productively engage into risk-taking and innovative behavior, effectively engaging in a “preference reversal.” We also find evidence of a deliberate accumulation of slack resources during periods of calm, which are mobilized to back up innovation and renewal efforts when a crisis hits. Our findings highlight family firms’ potential to endure crises by adopting a temporal separation logic to the risk-aversion vs. risk-taking paradox, and relatedly, by strategically managing the resource portfolio. Based on the case study, we suggest several research directions, approaches, and methodologies for studying family firm behavior and change during and in-between crises.