Thomas Zellweger
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Prof. Dr.
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Zellweger
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Thomas
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thomas.zellweger@unisg.ch
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+41 71 224 71 00
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  • Publication
    Exploring the entrepreneurial Behavior of Family Firms: Does the Stewardship Perspective explain Differences?
    (Wiley, 2012-03-01)
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    Drawing from stewardship theory we investigate corporate entrepreneurship in family firms. We argue that stewardship culture determinants - comprehensive strategic decision-making, participative governance, long-term orientation and human capital -differentiate the most entrepreneurial family firms. Based on a study of 179 family firms, we show that comprehensive strategic decision-making and long-term orientation contribute to corporate entrepreneurship. Additionally, family-to-firm unity enhances the positive effects participative governance and long-term orientation have on corporate entrepreneurship. While we found that family-to-firm unity can compensate for low human capital, unexpectedly, we also found that family-to-firm unity can dampen the positive relationship between human capital and corporate entrepreneurship
    Type: journal article
    Journal: Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice
    Volume: 36
    Issue: 2
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00402.x
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/91885
    Scopus© Citations 239
  • Publication
    Extending the Socioemotional Wealth Perspective: A Look at the dark Side
    (Wiley, 2012-11)
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    We extend the socioemotional wealth (SEW) perspective by arguing that SEW can be negatively associated with proactive stakeholder engagement (PSE). We further suggest that the SEW dimensions can be associated with positive or negative valence. Lastly, we propose that negatively valenced SEW dimensions lead to family centric behavior, which negatively affects PSE. This multifaceted conceptualization of SEW allows us to explain how family firms can partake in harmful stakeholder behaviors despite having seemingly strong SEW. Our paper suggests that SEW can be either an affective endowment or burden for family firms and their constituents.
    Type: journal article
    Journal: Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice
    Volume: 36
    Issue: 6
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-6520.2012.00544.x
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/90807
    Scopus© Citations 328
  • Publication
    Building a Family Firm Image: : How Family Firms capitalize on their Family Ties
    (Elsevier, 2012-12)
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Memili, Esra
    Type: journal article
    Journal: Journal of Family Business Strategy
    Volume: 3
    Issue: 4
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2012.10.001
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/90668
    Scopus© Citations 180
  • Publication
    The Critical Path to Family Firm Success through Entrepreneurial Risk Taking and Image
    (Elsevier, 2010-12)
    Memili, Esra
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Barnett, Tim
    Drawing from organizational identity theory, we explore how family ownership and family expectations influence family firm image and entrepreneurial risk taking, and ultimately firm performance. We find support for a fully-mediated model, utilizing a sample of 163 Swiss family firms. Family ownership was shown to positively influence the development of a family firm image. High family expectations of the firm leader was shown to promote a family firm image and risk taking. In turn, risk taking and family firm image contributed to firm performance. Accordingly, our study identifies why family ownership and family expectations can benefit family firm performance - through their influence on family firm image and entrepreneurial risk taking.
    Type: journal article
    Journal: Journal of Family Business Strategy
    Volume: 1
    Issue: 4
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2010.10.005
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/95623
    Scopus© Citations 131
  • Publication
    Exploring the Concept of Familiness : Introducing Family Firm Identity
    (Elsevier, 2010-03)
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    Our paper contributes to the overarching question: "How does the family contribute to firm success?" We add to the nomological net of the familiness construct, by reaching beyond the components of involvement and the essence approach and by introducing organizational identity as a third dimension of familiness. As such, we investigate which families are most likely to build familiness. Specifically, the organizational identity dimension of familiness reflects how the family defines and views the firm, which can facilitate performance advantages through leveraging familiness both internally and externally. Lastly, we discuss how the combinations of components of involvement, essence and identity dimensions of familiness interact and explain why and how some families are a key resource to their firms while others add little value to their organizations.
    Type: journal article
    Journal: Journal of Family Business Strategy
    Volume: 1
    Issue: 1
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2009.12.003
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/96761
    Scopus© Citations 528
  • Publication
    The Link Between Family Firm Dynamics, Image and Firm Performance
    (SMS Strategic Management Society, 2011-11-06)
    Memili, Esra
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    In this study, we draw upon organizational identity theory to examine factors that lead to the creation of family firm image and investigate how a family firm image impacts firm performance. We find that family firm pride, community social ties, and long-term orientation are positively associated with the likelihood that a firm portrays itself as a family business to consumers and stakeholders. In turn, we find that a family firm image benefits firm performance. Thus, our study demonstrates that by building a family firm image the unique family influences on the firm can be leveraged to create a competitive advantage for family firms.
    Type: conference paper
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/93265
  • Publication
    Building a Family Firm Image : How Family Firms can capitalize on their Familiness
    (United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 2010-01-17)
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    There is much debate regarding whether family firms have a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Some believe that their greatest competency may be their familiness; or the resources that accrue at the intersection of the family and business systems. Building on this belief, we argue that firms that brand themselves as family businesses may experience superior performance since consumers often see family firms as trustworthy, quality-driven and customer-focused. Thus, a family firm image may be a way for family firms to exploit their familiness in the marketplace. The results from our study support this view and also identify factors that increase the likelihood that a family business will choose to create a family firm image. Family firms that express much pride in their family connection and heritage, have strong ties with other businesses in their communities, and stress a long-term orientation in strategic planning were most likely to possess a strong family firm image. These results were found through a survey-based study of 179 CEOs of privately-held family businesses in Switzerland. Our findings have important implications for practice because they demonstrate how family firms may be able to accrue a performance advantage in the marketplace. While some family firms choose to downplay their family ties, perhaps due to (mis)perceptions regarding their conservatism and resistance to change, those firms that decide to foster a family firm image by branding themselves as family firms and highlighting their family involvement seem to be most successful. Therefore, in these tough economic times when it is most necessary for firms to stand-out from the crowd to garner and maintain business, our results suggest that building a family firm image may help family businesses to successfully compete. A family firm image may facilitate firm performance and may also help family firms to weather economic downturns.
    Type: conference paper
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/96889
  • Publication
    Corporate Entrepreneurship and Image in Family Firms
    (Academy of Management, 2009-08-11)
    Memili, Esra
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Barnett, Tim
    The impact of family ownership and family expectations on corporate entrepreneurship and family firm image has been underresearched. Drawing on corporate entrepreneurship and organizational identity theories, we develop a model linking family ownership and expectations, corporate entrepreneurship, and image in family firms. We also suggest that corporate entrepreneurship and image can lead to growth in family firms. We test the model on a sample of 163 Swiss family firms. Our most important findings are that family expectations have direct influence on both corporate entrepreneurship and image and that both corporate entrepreneurship and image are associated with growth in family firms.
    Type: conference paper
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/75690
  • Publication
    Corporate entrepreneurship in family firms: a stewardship perspective
    ( 2008-01-10)
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    Type: conference paper
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/78769
  • Publication
    The Importance of Looking toward the Future and Building on the Past: Entrepreneurial Risk Taking and Image in Family Firms
    (Emerald, 2010)
    Memili, Esra
    ;
    Eddleston, Kimberley H.
    ;
    Zellweger, Thomas orcid-logo
    ;
    Kellermanns, Franz W.
    ;
    Barnett, Tim
    ;
    Katz, Jerome
    ;
    Corbett, Andrew C.
    Drawing on organizational identity theory, we develop a model linking family ownership and expectations, entrepreneurial risk taking, and image in family firms to explain family firm growth. Testing our model on a sample of 163 Swiss family firms, we suggest that entrepreneurial risk taking and image can both lead to growth in family firms. We further find that family expectations have an influence on both entrepreneurial risk taking and family firm image. This finding suggests that family firms may benefit from two growth paths - forward looking risk-taking and the image of the family firm that builds on the past, and that these paths are nurtured by family expectations.
    Type: book section
    Issue: Vol. 12
    DOI: 10.1108/S1074-7540(2010)0000012004
    URI: https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/handle/20.500.14171/97548
    Scopus© Citations 14