Grounded in agency theory, this article examines the relationship between family ownership concentration and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, and analyzes the moderating role of sustainable governance mechanisms. Specifically, it assesses whether sustainability committees and ESG-linked executive compensation moderate the relationship between family ownership concentration and ESG performance. The empirical setting comprises 150 publicly listed European family firms observed over the period 2010-2021. Using panel data regressions with multiple fixed effects to control for unobserved heterogeneity, the results show that higher levels of family ownership are negatively associated with ESG performance. However, this effect is significantly weakened in firms that adopt sustainability committees and ESG-linked executive compensation schemes. These findings indicate that the impact of family ownership on sustainability is contingent upon the governance architecture that shapes the exercise of ownership power. From a theoretical perspective, the results contribute to agency theory by demonstrating that monitoring and incentive alignment mechanisms can mitigate Type II agency tensions between controlling families and minority shareholders in ESG-related domains. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest that in contexts of highly concentrated family ownership, the introduction of formal ESG-oriented monitoring and incentive mechanisms can reduce discretionary decision-making in ESG-related domains and foster greater alignment between family objectives and broader stakeholder expectations, thereby supporting a more balanced and long-term sustainability orientation.
This paper explores the effect of Lean Production and Industry 4.0 technologies on the operational performance improvement. While there is a widespread consensus on the positive effect that both paradigms can produce on the operational performance improvement, it is still questionable whether their joint interaction can enhance the effectiveness of Industry 4.0 due to the human-centricity of lean organizations, which seems to be in contrast with the strong focus on the technology-centricity peculiar to Industry 4.0. Based on the analysis of survey data coming from 189 factories located in Italy, the paper reveals a positive association between Lean Production practices and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. However, it also shows that their interaction weakens the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on productivity and product quality in factories with a longer and more intense Lean Production adoption. Interviews conducted among seven plants help in identifying the main reasons for such phenomenon.
This paper investigates how the gender composition of potential heirs influences technology adoption decisions in family-owned agricultural microenterprises. Drawing on primary field data from three waves of panel surveys of 734 rural households in Ethiopia (2013-2019), we exploit the exogenous microshock of a newborn child's gender to isolate its causal impact on farmers' uptake of new technologies. We find that the arrival of a son- rather than a daughter-significantly increases the likelihood of adopting agricultural innovations. Additional analyses suggest that this heterogeneity is driven primarily by a combination of gendered social and succession norms that prioritize men over women in agricultural leadership together with parents' rational expectations about sons' future involvement in the family business. Our findings contribute to research on entrepreneurship and development by identifying family structure-specifically, heirs' gender-as a novel determinant of technology adoption. More broadly, by situating the analysis within the family-firm paradigm, we argue that these dynamics extend beyond low-income settings; in many developing and advanced economies, gender biases in succession norms may systematically shape strategic investment decisions and long-term business sustainability.
The aim of this study is to highlight the critical role of human-centered design approach as a foundational element in the agile digital transformation of public service design. Grounded in service-design principles and public-service logic, it analyses how agencies adopt agile practices and involve stakeholders in co-design of disrupted municipal public mobility services during Covid 19. Combining a citizen survey, co-design workshops with officials and user representatives in an Italian city, we find that iterative, participatory cycles help close gaps between service demand and user satisfaction when organizations remain adaptable, stakeholders stay engaged, and technology is aligned with user needs. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance the usability and effectiveness of public services while contributing to broader discussions on sustainable, citizen-centric governance.
This study explores how adopting digital technologies helps companies increase their innovation potential by building valuable connections with other firms. These benefits depend on the type of industry and the region where the company operates. Using a hyperlink network as a digital trace of technology use, we examined 10,653 Finnish firms across 9 industries and 19 regions. Linear mixed-effects models show that digital technology adoption strengthens these strategic network positions, with the strongest effects coming from advanced high-technology tools, followed by cloud computing and social media. Knowledge-intensive industries (such as broadcasting and consulting) and digitally advanced regions (such as Ahvenanmaa) benefit the most, while more traditional sectors (like hospitality) and remote regions (like Lappi) face greater limitations. When industry type and regional context align well, the positive effects become even stronger. These findings extend network theory and the concept of dynamic capabilities by showing that digital adoption creates innovation potential through advantageous network positions. By connecting digital technology adoption with network perspectives, the study explains why digital transformation produces different innovation outcomes across sectors and regions.
