Internationalization of Family Firms in the Twenty-First Century: A Review and Research Agenda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/ejfb.16.1.2026.22994Keywords:
Family business, Internationalization, Socioemotional wealth, Governance, Networks, Multilevel frameworkAbstract
The internationalization of family businesses became a prominent research field during the first quarter of the 21st century. Despite the considerable growth in publications, the field remains conceptually fragmented and presents empirical inconsistencies. This study reviews 380 articles published between 2001 and 2025 with the aim of clarifying the intellectual structure of the field and promoting theoretical integration. The analysis identifies four dominant research groups: (1) corporate governance, ownership, and succession; (2) strategic management and decision-making; (3) resources and capabilities; and (4) international networks. Based on this classification, we propose an integrative model called Multilevel Contingent Logic Framework. This model states that the configuration of the business-owning family determines the firm's strategic logic, oriented toward maintaining control or pursuing expansion. This logic influences the type of international network the firm uses to expand internationally. Ultimately, these decisions affect the outcomes of internationalization, which in turn provide feedback and reshape the family configuration.
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