Challenges Caused by Socioemotional Wealth and Their Management During the Internationalization of Family Firms [védés előtt]

Abstract

This dissertation examines how socioemotional wealth (SEW) influences the internationalization of family firms, and how this process is connected to entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and innovation. SEW ensures continuity, the preservation of family identity, and transgenerational succession; however, its protective logic may often restrict risk-taking and hinder international expansion. The dissertation, structured around three articles, explores this paradox from multiple perspectives. The first article develops a conceptual framework demonstrating how SEW and EO can be aligned to support innovation and internationalization. The second article provides a systematic literature review and proposes a theoretical model that reveals the component-level relationship between SEW and EO. The third article applies quantitative analysis to Hungarian family firms using the FIBER scale, identifying which SEW dimensions facilitate or impede foreign market entry, and employing cluster analysis to distinguish different firm profiles. The research contributes to the theoretical integration of SEW and EO, provides empirical evidence on the relationship between SEW dimensions and internationalization, and offers practical guidance for family firm leaders. Its findings suggest that consciously managed SEW does not suppress but rather directs entrepreneurial behavior, fostering international growth while preserving family values.