Born-again globals: generational change and family business internationalisation

Research on family business internationalisation has so far mainly adopted stepwise models of internationalisation. However, there is recent evidence that family businesses may also adopt more rapid internationalisation pathways, such as the born-again global pathway. Generational change has been found to be a prime trigger for this pathway, but existing findings on this relationship are limited to a small amount of case-based evidence. We therefore aim to deepen knowledge on the conditions under which generational change can trigger born-again global internationalisation pathways of family businesses. Based on a multiple-case study of 20 born-again global family businesses from German-speaking countries, we derive a total of three propositions. Our findings suggest that succeeding generations internationalise their firms due to their long-term orientation. We also find that succession is more likely to trigger a family businesses' born-again global internationalisation pathway if the succeeding generation has a higher level of education than the preceding generation, has international experience and seeks self-actualisation.