The Effect of CEO Attributes on the Internationalization-Performance Relationship in Private Family Firms

This chapter explores the influence of CEO attributes on the internationalization-performance relationships of private family firms. Drawing on the upper echelon theory and the socioemotional wealth perspective, this research posits that CEOs play a crucial role in the internationalization of private family firms and that some of their attributes have moderating effects on the internationalization-performance relationship. Using cross-sectional data of 319 private family firms that expanded abroad, we find that both the family and the generational status of the CEO moderate the relationship between internationalization and firm performance.