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IFERA 2024 CONFERENCE

SUBMISSION

Key Dates & Deadlines

  • All paper submissions due: January 22, 2024
  • Applications for Doctoral Consortium and Summer School: January 22, 2024
  • Notification of acceptance for all submissions: March 5, 2024
  • Registration deadline for paper authors: April 2, 2024
  • Conference program: June 19-21, 2024
  • Doctoral Consortium: June 18, 2024

Conference Theme

FAMILY FIRMS: LEADING FOR IMPACT

Family businesses are core players in addressing grand challenges worldwide. These firms are especially well-positioned to integrate social, business, and environmental goals into their operations. Having the connection between a family and a business promotes the concern for financial and non-financial goals (Gómez-Mejía et al., 2007), a long-term view (Lumpkin et al., 2010), and doing good for the world (Feliu & Botero, 2016). Combined, these factors can drive positive change in the communities where family businesses exist (Sasaki et al., 2019). For example, previous research suggests that given the link that exists between a business family and their company’s reputation (Ward, 1988), family firms are more likely to lead by example and behave as “good corporate citizens”, prioritizing the well-being of stakeholders to maintain a good reputation (Binz et al., 2017; Deephouse & Jaskiewicz, 2013). Additionally, the focus on continuity and generational transfer helps family firms create environments that foster a sense of responsibility towards future generations, prompting them to adopt practices with positive impact (Hanson et al., 2019; Martín & Gómez-Mejía, 2016; Rau et al., 2019; Zellweger et al., 2012). Indeed, family firms that promote long-term orientation exhibit a stronger dedication to positive social impact when compared to family firms with low long- term orientation (Memili et al., 2018).

However, having family leadership shape business decisions can also bring difficulties, given the paradoxes that emerge with the combination of family and business (Artz et al., 2010; Schuman et al., 2010). These paradoxes include tradition versus change, family liquidity versus business growth, or founder control versus successor’s autonomy (Ingram et al., 2016; Schuman et al., 2010). These paradoxical attributes of family firms have sparked research to understand better how family firms manage these paradoxes (McAdam et al., 2020) and, more recently, when and how family businesses lead an impact on the world around them (see Claub et al., 2022; Randerson, 2022). With a commitment to preserving their nonfinancial preferences and socioemotional wealth, family firms are well-positioned to engage in social practices Field proactively (Cennamo et al., 2012; Cruz et al., 2014). By embracing purpose-driven strategies and a “holistic conception of value” (Santos, 2012), through their leadership role, they can inspire others, contribute to sustainable development goals, and serve as role models for businesses seeking to make a meaningful difference.

To continue building our understanding of business families and their firms’ impact on the world around us, we propose as a theme for IFERA 2024 “Family Firms: Leading for Impact.” By proposing this theme, we aim to encourage a comprehensive understanding of the role that family firms have as catalysts for social change, to provide new insights into areas that have been relatively under-researched and offer new insights into the important role that business families and their firms have in our current environment, and the challenges they face in executing that role.

We invite scholars to explore the influence of family dynamics on driving social change and to investigate the intricate balance between long-term orientation, which fosters a commitment to sustainability, and potential gaps in environmental practices, starting from, but not limited to, the following questions:

  1. How do family firms and business families leverage their unique attributes and values to drive social change within their communities?
  2. What specific strategies do family firms employ to integrate business, social and environmental objectives into their business operations and to promote sustainable development? What role does the business family have in this process?
  3. How does the intergenerational nature of family firms influence their approach to social change? How do they ensure the continuity of their impact across generations?
  4. What are the key challenges family firms face as social change promoters? How do they overcome these challenges?
  5. How do family firms collaborate with external stakeholders (e.g., nonprofits, government agencies, and local communities) to amplify their social impact?
  6. How do family firms navigate the tension between profitability and social responsibility? What innovative approaches do they adopt to align these objectives? What role does the business family have in this process?
  7. What role do family governance and ownership structure play in shaping the social change agenda of family firms?
  8. How do family firms measure and evaluate the social impact of their initiatives? What factors contribute to their long-term sustainability and success?
  9. What lessons can be learned from successful family firms that have effectively driven social change? How can these insights be applied to other organizations or contexts?
  10. How do family firms inspire and influence other businesses and stakeholders to adopt socially responsible practices? What is the broader impact of their role as social change promoters in the business ecosystem?
  11. How do leadership dynamics in family firms influence stakeholder engagement toward impact?
  12. What is the long-term impact of family firm leadership on stakeholder value creation?
  13. What role do family firms play in the growing field of impact investing?
  14. How are family firms transitioning from corporate social responsibility to corporate social innovation?

We welcome and encourage cross-disciplinary submissions analyzing different units of analysis (family, firm, individuals, etc.), using diverse theoretical perspectives, conceptual explorations, and new and different methodological approaches (qualitative and quantitative) to explore these topics. We also invite the submission of research projects investigating other topics unrelated to the conference theme, which help advance our understanding of family firms and entrepreneurial families.

We look forward to your submissions!

Submission types

IFERA 2024 welcomes a varied and wide range of submissions to create a vibrant conference environment among family business scholars. Submission types include:

  • Full Paper (FP)
  • Work in Progress (WIP)
  • Doctoral Consortium (DC)
  • Special Sessions: Submit your idea to host and moderate a session with leading family business researchers and practitioners (info on how to apply coming very soon!)
  • Our fourth edition of the Summer School, taking place May and June 2024

Highlights

  • A unique Research Development Program featuring the IFERA Doctoral Consortium and the IFERA Summer School – to learn more, check https://staging.ifera.org/development.
  • A dedicated stream of sessions featuring opportunities for engagement with international and national family business leaders, in touch with the lively entrepreneurial community of Lisbon and Portugal.
  • Conference awards sponsored by leading institutions and organizations in the field of family business, celebrating the best achievements and contributions to the field of family business research

 

References

Artz, K. W., Norman, P. M., Hatfield, D. E., & Cardinal, L. B. 2010. A longitudinal study of the impact of R&D, patents, and product innovation on firm performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 27(5): 725–740.

Binz, C. A., Ferguson, K. E., Pieper, T. M., & Astrachan, J. H. (2017). Family business goals, corporate citizenship behaviour and firm performance: Disentangling the connections. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 16(1-2): 34-56.

Cennamo, C., Berrone, P., Cruz, C., & Gomez-Mejia, L. R. 2012. Socioemotional wealth and proactive stakeholder engagement: Why family-controlled firms care more about their stakeholders. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 36(6): 1153–1173.

Clauß, T., Kraus, S., & Jones, P. (2022). Sustainability in family business: Mechanisms, technologies and business models for achieving economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 176: 121450.

Cruz, C., Larraza-Kintana, M., Garcés-Galdeano, L., & Berrone, P. 2014. Are family firms really more socially responsible? Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 38(6): 1295–1316.

Deephouse, D. L., & Jaskiewicz, P. 2013. Do family firms have better reputations than non- family firms? An integration of socioemotional wealth and social identity theories. Journal of Management Studies, 50(3): 337–360.

Feliu, N., & Botero, I. C. (2016). Philanthropy in family enterprises: A review of literature.

Family Business Review, 29(1): 121-141.

Hanson, S. K., Hessel, H. M., & Danes, S. M. (2019). Relational processes in family entrepreneurial culture and resilience across generations. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 10(3): 100263.

Ingram, A. E., Lewis, M. W., Barton, S., & Gartner, W. B. (2016) Paradoxes and innovation in family firms: The role of paradoxical thinking. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 40(1): 161–176.

Lumpkin, G. T., Brigham, K. H., & Moss, T. W. (2010). Long-term orientation: Implications for the entrepreneurial orientation and performance of family businesses.

Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 22(3-4): 241-264.

Martín, G., & Gomez-Mejia, L. (2016). The relationship between socioemotional and financial wealth: Re-visiting family firm decision making. Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, 14(3): 215-233.

McAdam, M., Clinton, E., & Dibrell, C. (2020). Navigation of the paradoxical landscape of the family business. International Small Business Journal, 38(3), 139-153.

Memili, E., Fang, H. C., Koç, B., Yildirim-Öktem, Ö., & Sonmez, S. 2018. Sustainability practices of family firms: The interplay between family ownership and long-term orientation. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 26(1): 9–28.

Rau, S. B., Schneider-Siebke, V., & Günther, C. (2019). Family firm values explaining family firm heterogeneity. Family Business Review, 32(2): 195-215.

Randerson, K. (2022). Conceptualizing family business social responsibility. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174: 121225.

Santos, F. M. (2012). A positive theory of social entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Ethics, 111(3): 335-351.

Sasaki, I., Ravasi, D., & Micelotta, E. (2019). Family firms as institutions: Cultural reproduction and status maintenance among multi-centenary shinise in Kyoto. Organization Studies, 40(6): 793-831.

Schuman, A., Stutz, S., & Ward, J. L. (2010). Family business as paradox (pp. 22-29). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ward, J. L. (1988). The special role of strategic planning for family businesses. Family Business Review, 1(2): 105-117.

Zellweger, T. M., Nason, R. S., & Nordqvist, M. 2012. From longevity of firms to transgenerational entrepreneurship of families: Introducing family entrepreneurial orientation. Family Business Review, 25(2): 136–155.

Submit your paper

Submit before January 22, 2024.

We strongly believe that sessions that do not relate with paper presentations are equally important and beneficial to the delegate’s experience. We also realized that this is a great opportunity for our community to actively contribute to the conference program and bring fresh perspectives and people to the floor.

So, we would like to invite all of you to challenge yourself and finally bring to life that idea currently sitting in the back of your head.

As much as we love building our scientific program, we really think that you can be more innovative and improve the IFERA experience even more.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are looking for sessions in the form of panels, workshops, debates, interviews, invited speakers, experiments and any other innovative format you can think of.

The session should be relevant to our audience and should be:

  • INTERACTIVE: Promote exchange and conversation instead of reportage
  • INCLUSIVE: Accommodate and provide value for all types of participants who attend
  • INTEGRATIVE: Foster connections within and between individuals
  • DEVELOPMENTAL: Enhance individuals as opposed to standardized solutions
  • VALUABLE: Push the standards of scholarship and practice to new heights
  • PROVOCATIVE: Incorporate activities, topics, process, and constituencies that make delegates willing to participate
  • LOGISTICALLY SOUND: With clear logistics in mind (room disposition, technical equipment etc…)

HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE?

Please send a proposal to office@ifera.org by January 22 that includes the following points:

  • Type of session: Panel, Debate, Speech, Workshop, etc…
  • Title of the session: Be catchy and clear about the content of the session
  • Abstract of the session: Write what the session is about and highlight the takeaways for the audience in 100 words
  • Speakers: Indicate who the speaker/s and moderator/s would be and provide bios
  • Logistics: Clearly explain what room setting and technical or other equipment would be needed to run the session.
  • Motivation: Why do you want to organize this session and why do you think it is important?
 

The proposal must be sent as a word file.

IMPORTANT INFO

This proposal is referred to a one-hour session at the IFERA 2024 Annual Conference in Carcavelos, Portugal.

Slots dedicated to special sessions will be on June 19, 20 and 21 and will be allocated in any of these 3 dates by the Program Committee.

The author/s of the proposal, if selected, will be the session chair/s.

As a chair you will be responsible for the overall organization and coordination of the session, and you will provide the IFERA Office with all relevant info in a timely manner.

All speakers are welcome to contribute to their session and attend all other academic sessions on the same day at no charge. However, we would kindly ask them to register if they have a paper to present at the conference or they wish to participate in the full program and the social events.

May you need any further information about the process, please write an email to office@ifera.org.

Good luck with your proposal!

 

Submit your paper

Key Dates & Deadlines

  • All paper submissions due: January 22, 2024
  • Applications for Doctoral Consortium and Summer School: January 22, 2024
  • Notification of acceptance for all submissions: March 5, 2024
  • Registration deadline for paper authors: April 2, 2024

Step 1: Submission Website

GO TO THE SUBMISSION WEBSITE AT: https://ifera2024.exordo.com/

Once you have accessed the website click on “New Submission” from the Submissions section.
The conference is organized around multiple tracks. Please read carefully the general and track-specific guidelines, and make sure you are making the correct choice for your submission. Once you make your selection you will be guided by the system to input all the relevant information for your selected track.

Step 2: Enter your submission

  • Enter the title of your submission: Use Title Case for the paper title. The first letter of major title words should be in capital letters. Prepositions, conjunctions should not be capitalized for the title and short title. An example is: “Entrepreneurship and Family Business Research: Comparisons, Critique, and Lessons.”
  • Add an abstract (max. 150 words)
  • Enter the author information: (First Name, Last Name, Email and Affiliation) for all authors and in order of authorship. Make sure to complete all the required fields. Finally, select the Corresponding Author for the submission and one or more Presenting Authors who plan to attend the conference and present the research.
  • Enter a short bio for the submission authors.
  • Topics/Keywords: Select the topics for that characterize your submission. There is no limit to the number of keywords that you can select, please choose yours carefully to facilitate the development of thematic sessions in the final program.
  • Upload the File in .pdf format. In preparing your manuscript file which will be uploaded, do not include any information which could reveal your identity, or that of your co-authors. The first page of your uploaded file should include a title of the manuscript.
  • Add additional information and upload additional documents required for your submission track, following the instructions of the Submission System.
  • When you create a submission, you can save a draft at any stage and return to it later. Simply login on the system and update your submission(s) until the submission deadline.
Submit your paper

IFERA 2024 welcomes a varied and wide range of submissions to create a vibrant conference environment among family business scholars. The program will be organized in two main parts: the Academic Program and the Research Development Program. These include the following submission types:

  • Full Paper
Full Paper (FP)
    is a submission of a finished product – an original completed research manuscript that is ready for peer review. FP submissions will be assessed according to a double-blind process with at least two reviewers. FPs are eligible for Best Conference Paper Awards.
    Length: Maximum 35 pages including references, tables and figures.
  • Work in Progress
Work in Progress (WIP)
    is a submission of a well-developed original idea that is not yet completed. WIP submissions include at a minimum the research question, preliminary literature review, conceptual/theoretical framework, methodology (if relevant) and its contribution to theory and practice. They will be evaluated for their potential and promise according to a double-blind process with two reviewers. WIP are eligible for Track-specific awards.
    Length: Maximum of 7 pages (5 pages for the body which can include charts, graphs, diagrams, etc. and up to 2 pages of references). Here is a TEMPLATE for this submission.
  • Doctoral Consortium
The doctoral consortium (DC) is open to any scholar interested in an introduction to family business research, especially doctoral students at mid-advanced stage of their studies and scholars who are new to family business research.
Check the dedicated page for complete information where you will also find a TEMPLATE for this submission.
    The Program Committee reserves the right to change the original submission type at its discretion, based on reviewers feedback and conference program constraints. In such a case, the Program Committee will contact the authors and offer the alternative presentation format.
  • Paper Development Workshop​  (PDW) is a unique opportunity to engage in an in-depth discussion with the Editors of highly ranked journals, and to receive detailed feedback about your manuscript aimed at advancing your work toward journal submission.
    Check the dedicated page for complete information.

 

The Program Committee reserves the right to change the original submission type at its discretion, based on reviewers feedback and conference program constraints. In such a case, the Program Committee will contact the authors and offer the alternative presentation format.

Submit your paper

Upon completion of peer review, if your submission is selected for inclusion in the conference, you will be notified with the decision on the presentation format of your submission.

 

General Rules:

  • Originality: The IFERA Conference will accept only original, unpublished work for all the submission types. Submissions can be derived from work that has been already presented at other conferences or workshops, but the submission must reflect significant development. Any proposal submitted that is judged to be identical or substantially similar to work already published, or presented at another past conference or publication could be subject to exclusion at any time before the conference.
  • Blind review process: For all submissions, please ensure that you do not include any information that could reveal your identity. If the submission is not anonymized, it will be desk rejected. Authors have the opportunity to revise their submissions on the Submission System until the deadline.
  • Rule of three: Each author can appear on a maximum number of three (3) submissions, across all submission types.

 

Revisions

All submissions are deemed as final after the main deadline. Therefore the following will not be accepted after the deadline.

  • No rewrites.
  • No additional authors.
  • No changes to titles, abstracts, or the order of authors.
  • Before the deadline, you can delete a submission you have made and resubmit it in a changed form if you so choose.
  • Availability to Present at the Conference
  • Authors whose submission is accepted by the review committee, will be expected to present at any time during the conference (i.e. June 19 – June 21). Due to the high number of participants, the Conference Program Committee will not be able to accommodate personalized schedule requests. Please make sure that at least one of the co-authors is available to present before making your submission.
  • We will notify all papers about their status (i.e. accept/reject) by March 5, 2024.

 

Cancellation Policy

Cancellation of registration is not eligible for cash refunds. In case of cancellation the registration fee can be transferred to another author of the same paper. In case of single authored papers, 50% of the paid registration will be applied to the next year’s conference registration fee

Submit your paper

The following guidelines apply to all submission types:

 

Title Page

The title page should not contain author information. Just include the title of the manuscript and abstract in the first page.

 

Abstract

Limit: 150 words
A concise abstract is required. The abstract should state briefly the purpose of the research, the principal results and major conclusions. An abstract is often presented separately from the article, so it must be able to stand alone. For this reason, references should be avoided, but if essential, then cite the author(s) and year(s). Also, non-standard or uncommon abbreviations should be avoided, but if essential they must be defined at their first mention in the abstract itself.

 

Page Layout & Spacing:

  • Page size must be 8.5 x 11-inches (“letter” size). Do not use A4.
  • All margins (left, right, top and bottom) must be 1 inch (2.54 cm), including your tables and figures.
  • Double space your text.
  • Fonts type & size:
    • Main Body—12 pt. Times or the closest comparable font available
    • Equations—12 pt. Times or the closest comparable font available
    • Footnotes—10 pt. Times or the closest comparable font available
  • Tables, graphs & figures: text accompanying graphs, figures and tables should be no smaller than 8 pt.
  • Headings: use no more than three levels of headings similar in format to APA.

 

References:

Please follow APA style for references both in-text and in the reference section located at the end of the paper. References within the text of your manuscript: Use the author-date method of citation. For instance, “As noted by Smith (1776).”

Reference to a journal publication:Van der Geer, J., Hanraads, J. A. J., & Lupton, R. A. (2010). The art of writing a scientific article. Journal of Scientific Communications, 163, 51–59.

Reference to a book:
Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style. (4th ed.). New York: Longman, (Chapter 4).

Reference to a chapter in an edited book:
Mettam, G. R., & Adams, L. B. (2009). How to prepare an electronic version of your article. In B. S. Jones, & R. Z. Smith (Eds.), Introduction to the electronic age (pp. 281–304). New York: E-Publishing Inc.

Please follow a consistent format and for more details regarding the APA style please visit: http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/apa/apa01.html

 

Submit your paper

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