IFERA 2019 Conference, Bergamo, Italy
“Feeding the fire of entrepreneurship:
Theory and practice for the enterprising family”
In family firms, the intertwinement of the family and the business systems gives the former a crucial role in forging principles, values, and competences that affect entrepreneurial decision-making and outcomes. For example, family structure, members’ roles and relationships impact the resources made available to the firm and their use, both statically (i.e. at a given point in time) and dynamically (i.e. through family development and transitions, such as childbirth and marriage, but also divorce and death). Family-related norms, attitudes and their evolution also have implications on entrepreneurial behaviours (e.g., opportunity recognition, new business start-up decisions) and outcomes (e.g., survival, fulfilment of economic and non-economic goals). Scholars agree it is increasingly important to adopt a family perspective and to focus on the enterprising family as a yet unexploited unit of analysis in entrepreneurship research.
The aim of the conference is to create a fertile ground to a) support the development of theories of the enterprising family; b) favour the disciplinary cross-fertilization of family studies and entrepreneurship fields (e.g., the application of family science theory to investigate entrepreneurship); c) frame and systematize the contribution of management theories (e.g., agency theory, stewardship theory, socio-emotional wealth perspective, resource based view, …) to the theorizing on the enterprising family. Such theorizing effort at the “enterprising family” unit of analysis has relevant implications for practice too. Family business practitioners and educators can benefit from this line of inquiry, by recognizing the challenges related to family issues, which should be considered as complementary to the much more discussed business ones in fostering entrepreneurial potential of family firms.
The conference location is the old medieval part of Bergamo, a charming and lively town.
The University of Bergamo, ranked among the top 100 young universities worldwide and the top 500 universities worldwide according to the Times Higher Education, offers a vibrant academic environment
Keynote Speakers:
Howard Aldrich, UNC Chapel Hill, USA
Jay Barney, University of Utah, USA
Nadine Kammerlander, WHU, Germany
Pictures of the event are available on the IFERA Official Facebook page
Conference Committee
Conference chair: Tommaso Minola
Conference Co-Chairs: Mara Brumana, Giovanna Campopiano
Consortia Co-Chair: Claudia Binz Astrachan, Emanuela Rondi
Research and publications Director: Josip Kotlar
Event Coordinators: Valentina Re, Inese Ziemele
Program
Conference venue: University of Bergamo, Italy
Event dates: 17th – 21st June 2019
Conference Program Overview (pdf)
Consortiums Program Overview (pdf)
Conference proceedings (members access only)
Conference Awards
IFERA 2019 has assigned several awards that, based on peer-review, will recognize excellence, quality and impact of papers and proposals submitted to the conference. Awards will include the Best Conference Paper, the Best Paper on Conference Theme, the Best Paper-Contribution to Practice, the Best Reviewer(s) and the best PhD Thesis Proposal.
The “CYFE – UNIBG”Best Conference Paper Award €2,500
Award jury: Alfredo DeMassis, Cristina Bettinelli, Alister Anderson, Kim Eddleston
Winner:
Family-oriented non-economic objectives and the internationalization of family firms: Evidence from Australia
Chris Graves, Henry Shi and Francesco Barbera
Other nominated papers:
- Failing to sustain collaboration: A longitudinal process study of failed family owner ‒ nonfamily CEO trajectories
Rüveyda Kelleci, Frank Lambrechts, Wim Voordeckers and Jolien Huybrechts - The family compass – How family identity enables family firms to align strategy and business identity
Jana Bövers and Christina Hoon - Job Benefits and Employee Happiness in Family and Non-family Firms – The Role of
Cultural Differences
Stephanie Querbach, Matthias Waldkirch and Nadine Kammerlander
The “DIGIP – UNIBG” & “STEP”Best Paper on Conference Theme: €1,000
Award jury: Evelyn Micelotta, Andrea Salanti, Peter Jaskiewicz
Winner:
Entrepreneurship Orientation in Family Firms. An Exploratory Study
Michela Floris and Cinzia Dessì
Other nominated papers :
- R&D Sources and the InnovationPerformance of Family versus Non-Family
Businesses
Fernando Muñoz-Bullon, Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno and Alfredo De Massis - Paradoxical Influence of Family Ownership on Innovation-Focused Organizational Change:
Evidence from a Large Family Business Retail Firm
Izabela Szymanska - The Effect of Active Learning during Formative Years on Self-Employment– Indirect and Direct Exposure to FamilyBusiness
Marjan Houshmand, Marc-David Seidel and Dennis Ma
The “SAGE”Best Teaching Case: €1,500
Award jury: Rachel Taliaferro, Anita Van Gils, Giuseppe Pedeliento
Winner:
The Carreño Family
Ricardo Aparicio
Other nominated papers:
- The Peak Hotel – The Challenge of Succession and Family Firm Continuity
Anita Zehrer and Gabriela Leiss - J.M. HUBER: In the Midst of the Leadership Transition
Marta Widz and Denise Kenyon-Rouvinez em> - Open Sports Argentina: Corporate Social Responsibility of a Small Family Businesses
Claudio Muller and Natalia Christensen
The “WIFU”Best Paper Contribution to Practice: €1,000
Award jury: Marcel Hulsbeck, Edoardo della Torre, Daniel Pittino
Winner:
The mixed gamble of strategic market focus in family and nonfamily firms
Ivan Miroshnychenko, Alfredo De Massis, Kim A. Eddleston and Josip Kotlar
Other nominated papers:
- An Exploratory Study on the German Single Family Office Landscape:
Understanding Archetypes and Consequences
Antonia Schickinger, Max Peter Leitterstorf and Nadine Kammerlander - How, Who, and When? The Role of the Advisor for Post-Succession Outcomes in Family-Owned SME
Alexandra Michel, Philipp Sieger and Nadine Kammerlander - How to Keep Up with Discontinuous Technology? A Multiple Case Study on the
Digital Transformation Process in Family Firms
Jonas Soluk and Nadine Kammerlander
The “IFERA”Best Reviewer Award: €500 + 2019 IFERA conference fee waiver
Award jury: Tommaso Minola, Mara Brumana, Giovanna Campopiano
Winners:
Juliana Binhote, Maria Josè Sanchez-Bueno, Alessandro Cirillo, Luca Manelli
The IFERA Best PhD research proposal Award: € 1000
Award jury: Rania Labaki, Federica Origo, Attilia Ruzzene, Cristina Cruz
Winner:
Digital Transformation, Digital Entrepreneurship, and Digital Innovation in Family Firms
Jonas Soluk
Other nominated papers:
- Green expectations: Generational Transfer of Environmental Values in Family Businesses
Nishanthi Kariyapperuma - The Psychology of Generational Turnover in Family firms: A Post- Cognitive Approach
Vittoria Magrelli - Feeding the Fire of Digitalization: Family Firms in Times of Digital Disruption
Ruth Überbacher
The IFERA Most promising dissertation Award: € 1000
Award jury: Esra Memili, Emanuela Rondi, Renato Redondi, Philipp Sieger
Winner:
Changing Family Demographics as a Venture Creation Opportunity
Jiyoung Kim
Other nominated papers:
- Chairperson of the Board in Family Firms
Anup Banerjee - Entrepreneurial Finance and Immigrant family Businesses
Ibrahim Malki - Unraveling the Complexity of the Family and Business Interface in Family Owned Businesses
Michal Perry