Unveiling contemporary dimensions in the internationalisation of family firms through bibliometric analysis and thematic analysis

Abstract

Purpose For sustaining a competitive advantage in the integrated world economy, it has become imperative for family firms to internationalise their operations in overseas markets. However, despite the growing set of literature, results are still inconclusive with respect to family firms’ internationalisation. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by systematically reviewing 142 articles (1991–2019) to help researchers in identifying and unfolding the unexplored themes in the underlying area. Design/methodology/approach For systematically reviewing articles, the study uses a three-step methodology following PRISMA guidelines, bibliometric analysis and thematic analysis. Descriptive statistics of 142 research articles are obtained through bibliometric analysis while thematic analysis is carried out to create themes or clusters of various factors relating to family firms’ internationalisation. Findings The current review uncovers the evolving trends in the research streams, most productive authors, top journals and articles, co-citation analysis, as well as the major themes surrounding the family firms’ internationalisation literature. Results from bibliometric analysis indicate that family firms’ internationalisation is an upcoming research area. Also, the review indicates an opportunity for scholars from developing nations to make significant contributions in the underlying research stream. Research limitations/implications Results from bibliometric and thematic analysis will help academicians and researchers in accumulating a holistic understanding relating to family firms’ internationalisation and understanding the upcoming trends in family firms’ research, thereby guiding the future research scope. Also, it will assist the family firms’ leaders and managers in understanding the important dynamics in overseas markets and various factors to be considered while planning their internationalisation. Originality/value Undertaking a systematic literature review presents readers with a state-of-the-art understanding of the underlying research topic. To the best of the knowledge, to date, the study is the first to conduct the review of literature through bibliometric analysis with the help of R Studio software in the field of family firms’ internationalisation. Also, the study is the first to review more than 100 research articles in the underlying area. Finally, the study proposes a comprehensive framework integrating the major themes and facets relating to family firms’ internationalisation.

Family ownership and the export performance of SMEs: the moderating role of financial constraints and flexibility

“…, 2006), especially in the last decade (Casprini et al , 2020). A recent literature review indicates that family firms' internationalisation is a growing and evolving research area: here, the annual percentage growth rate in the number of articles published from 1991 to 2019 is about 10.5% (Thukral and Jain, 2021).…”

“…The conceptual and empirical research indicates that family involvement matters for internationalisation, yet the consequences of this involvement remain unclear (Herrera-Echeverri et al. , 2016; Thukral and Jain, 2021). To clarify this aspect, in Table 1, we provide a list of previous studies; we have selected only empirical quantitative research on the relationship between export performance (as measured by export intensity) and family ownership.…”

“…Literature review and hypothesis development 2.1 The internationalisation of family firms: the role of family ownership Research on the internationalisation of family firms started with the seminal article of Gallo and Sveen (1991); since then, much research has been published, investigating the differences between family and nonfamily firms (Crick et al, 2006), especially in the last decade (Casprini et al, 2020). A recent literature review indicates that family firms' internationalisation is a growing and evolving research area: here, the annual percentage growth rate in the number of articles published from 1991 to 2019 is about 10.5% (Thukral and Jain, 2021).…”

“…The role of ownership in SMEs' internationalisation is one of the main themes that has been investigated over the past 20 years; most of these studies seek to find a relationship between family ownership of SMEs and their level of internationalisation. Since Gallo and Sveen's (1991) seminal article, research on the internationalisation of family firms has grown considerably (Thukral and Jain, 2021). However, this issue is still critical, and various topics remain to be explored (De Massis et al , 2018).…”

International Expansion and Firm Growth in Domestic Markets: Family Versus Non-Family Firms

“…International strategy has attracted considerable attention among family business scholars, as shown by the escalating number of articles and literature reviews (see, for example, Arregle et al, 2021; Casprini et al, 2020; Debellis, De Massis, et al, 2021; Debellis, Rondi, et al, 2021; De Massis et al, 2018; Kontinen & Ojala, 2010; Metsola et al, 2020; Pukall & Calabrò, 2014; Thukral & Jain, 2021). In acknowledging the specificities of FFs, scholars have extensively compared internationalization in FFs versus non-FFs (De Massis et al, 2018), with the majority of studies documenting that the former expand abroad less than the latter (Fernández & Nieto, 2005, 2006; Gallo & Garcia Pont, 1996; Graves & Thomas, 2006; Yeung, 2000).…”