When more is preferred to less: Multifamily firms and firm performance.
Published in Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 2020
Recommended citation: Duran, P., & Ortiz, M. (2020). When More Is Better: Multifamily Firms and Firm Performance. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice. 44(4),761–783.
Does the presence of multiple and unrelated family controllers improve firm performance? Drawing on both agency and behavioral agency theories, we argue that multifamily firms outperform single-family firms since families in multifamily firms actively monitor owners’ socioemotional goals. Additionally, we suggest that a balanced distribution of control among the owning families facilitates the monitoring process. Finally, we argue that the focal relationship follows an inverted U-shaped pattern depending on the number of families controlling the firm. We test our hypotheses using a sample of Chilean publicly listed family firms. Our study extends current knowledge of the uniqueness of multifamily firms.