Does spiritual capital influence the link between innovation of successors and performance of family SMEs?

Résumé 0

Although most of the research on family firms concerns the effects of succession on performance, little work has been done on post-succession innovation. This work highlights the relationship between successor innovativeness and performance and introduces spiritual capital as a moderator. Based on survey data from 390 family SMEs that have undergone transmission, factor analysis and structural equation modelling show that the successor’s innovativeness influences the performance of family SMEs that have been transmitted. The moderation results underline that the abundance of the heart positively moderates the relationship between innovativeness and performance and conversely the works of faith of the successor do not have a positive effect on this relationship. The results invite family business owners to consider different ways to increase performance by taking into account the role of individual entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviour.