分殊偏待与家族企业竞争优势:一个理论框架

Bifurcation Bias and the Competitive Advantage of Family Firms:A Theoretical Framework

在家族企业内部,控股家族通常会针对家族成员和非家族成员进行区别对待,并给予家族成员更好的待遇,从而出现“分殊偏待”这一家族企业独特现象。“分殊偏待”在中国家族企业中普遍存在,且对企业的战略选择和竞争优势具有重要影响。本文对目前关于分殊偏待的研究成果进行梳理与整合,从分殊偏待的概念内涵与表现形式入手,辨析分殊偏待与其他领导差别对待概念之间的区别,从不同角度梳理分殊偏待的产生原因。结合企业竞争优势的文献成果,以资源基础观的VRIO框架作为理论基础,深入剖析分殊偏待与家族企业竞争优势之间的作用机制及其边界条件,在文献综述与理论推演的基础上提出若干命题,构建了一个综合性的理论分析框架,并为未来分殊偏待的研究提供思路与方向。

In family firms,the controlling family tends to offer family members better treatment than non-family members.This asymmetric treatment of family and non-family members within a family firm was defined as bifurcation bias.In this paper,we examined whether and how bifurcation bias might have an impact on the competitive advantage of family firms.To do so,we developed a framework showing how bifurcation bias might affect the attitudes and behaviors of both family members and non-family members,which in turn shaped a family firm's competitive advantage.Before we developed the above mentioned theoretical framework,we clarified the differences between bifurcation bias and other related but distinct concepts in the literature,and identified the main antecedents of bifurcation bias.By doing so,we could gain a deeper understanding of the concept and theories regarding bifurcation bias.Drawing upon the VRIO(i.e.,value,rarity,imitability and organization)framework of resource-based view,we delineated the relationship between bifurcation bias and family firm competitive advantages.More specifically,we proposed that although both family members and non-family members could be valuable,rare and imitable resources for the family firms,bifurcation bias could disrupt the family firms'abilities to exploit the resources and capabilities possessed by non-family members,and thus might have a negative impact on family firm competitive advantages.Furthermore,we proposed that non-family members in family firms with high bifurcation bias were likely to have a high level of perceived unfairness,and subsequently were more likely to engage in opportunistic behaviors,which might have a negative impact on firm competitive advantages.However,offering preferential treatment toward family members might increase family members'organizational identification and decrease their tendencies of engaging in opportunistic behaviors,which clearly was beneficial for family firms to gain a competitive advantage.We also recognized the possibility that different dimensions of bifurcation bias might have different implications for family firm competitive advantages.More specifically,whereas offering asymmetric treatment in terms of hiring and promotion,compensation,and monitoring could affect non-family members'perceptions and behaviors,family members'perceptions and behaviors were likely to be shaped more by bifurcation bias in monitoring rather than bifurcation bias in other dimensions.Our paper makes three contributions to the family business literature.First,this paper enriches our understanding of the concept of bifurcation bias by delineating the relationship between bifurcation bias and competitive advantage in family firms.Second,we draw upon the VRIO framework to develop our theoretical propositions regarding how bifurcation bias may play a role in family firms.We depart from prior studies that rely mainly on transaction cost economics theory and socioemotional wealth perspective,and thus contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between family members and non-family members in family firms.Third,our paper proposes several boundary conditions over how bifurcation bias may shape a family firm's competitive advantage.The theoretical framework developed in this paper has implications for future research.First,we encourage family business scholars to conduct more empirical studies on bifurcation bias.To do so,we need to develop a valid measurement of bifurcation bias such that future studies could conduct large-scale surveys based on the measurement.Second,future studies can further delineate the antecedents of bifurcation bias.Particularly,we encourage researchers to examine whether and how the antecedents may have differential impacts on the different dimensions of bifurcation bias.Third,future studies can examine how-bifurcation bias may have an impact on company strategic choices,such as merger and acquisition,research and development investment,and internationalization.Last but not the least,future research should further examine whether and how-bifurcation bias may play a role in China.Given that there are significant differences in the formal and informal institutions between China and western countries,it is possible that bifurcation bias may have different implications for firm strategic choices and firm competitive advantage.Furthermore,there are substantial variation of institutions across regions in China.Researchers thus can examine whether institutional differences may have an impact on how bifurcation bias shapes organizational outcomes in family firms.