- LUT Lahti
Saimaankatu 11
15140 Lahti
Finland - +358 40 5418 512
Timo Pihkala
Lappeenranta University of Technology, LUT Lahti, Faculty Member
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All in-text references underlined in blue are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
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The objective of this case-based study is to understand how the dyadic interaction between the key governance actors can influence the decision-making aimed at directing and controlling a family firm. The study provides evidence that... more
The objective of this case-based study is to understand how the dyadic interaction between the key governance actors can influence the decision-making aimed at directing and controlling a family firm. The study provides evidence that dyadic interaction at the back stage of the formal governance process can offer a privileged position for the family firm owners who serve on the board, and the non-family member Chair of the Board, to influence decision-making before, after and between board meetings. The cases studied suggest that dyadic interactions can serve as preparation for formal board processes and complement and clarify them, yet they also have the potential to conflict with them. Dyadic interaction is also shown to offer important relational and emotional benefits that may not necessarily be achieved through larger group interaction. The findings suggest that although the actors can self-regulate their behaviour through informal rules, the rules may imperfectly address one ri...
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This chapter highlights the phenomenon of family business groups as a research target and presents the vision for the book. The role of family business groups in different economies is a main reason for the need to understand the... more
This chapter highlights the phenomenon of family business groups as a research target and presents the vision for the book. The role of family business groups in different economies is a main reason for the need to understand the emergence and development of family business groups. Partly due to the invisibility of the family business group—the current business group—the entrepreneurship and family business literature have largely neglected the topic. So this chapter raises a set of questions as targets for research on the family business group. The remainder of the chapter covers all of the book’s chapters and their perspectives on the phenomenon of the family business group.
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This paper presents the interaction of different systemic elements in innovation activities in complex business portfolios. The interaction of innovation and portfolio transformation is highlighted based on two empirical case studies.... more
This paper presents the interaction of different systemic elements in innovation activities in complex business portfolios. The interaction of innovation and portfolio transformation is highlighted based on two empirical case studies. Systemic challenges with different drivers and external impacts are presented. The managerial implication is to focus on dynamism present in continuous change. This study contributes to innovation and portfolio business literature by creating a linkage between the two fields of study and by making the multiple interlinked systems visible. This paper extends the innovation discussion towards portfolio businesses.
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The present study aims to present a theoretical framework for a network-level performance measurement system. The suggested framework for the performance measurement system is composed of the factors that enable and cause the productivity... more
The present study aims to present a theoretical framework for a network-level performance measurement system. The suggested framework for the performance measurement system is composed of the factors that enable and cause the productivity and profitability of the network form of organisation. The framework developed in this study can be divided into six subdimensions:(1) network culture,(2) resources and competences,(3) models of action,(4) internal processes,(5) customer perspective and (6) financial indicators of the network. We ...
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... Tomi Salonsaari for carrying out the editing and coding of the international empirical data); Joan Keegan & Aidan O'Connor, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland; Henrik Barth & Håkan Ylienpää, Luleå University of... more
... Tomi Salonsaari for carrying out the editing and coding of the international empirical data); Joan Keegan & Aidan O'Connor, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland; Henrik Barth & Håkan Ylienpää, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden. ... Stockholm School of Economics (diss.). ...
The recent theories of innovation suggest that there is great potential for innovation in the structural holes and weak links of the innovation system. Higher absorptive capacity enables an easier crossing over of structural holes in the... more
The recent theories of innovation suggest that there is great potential for innovation in the structural holes and weak links of the innovation system. Higher absorptive capacity enables an easier crossing over of structural holes in the innovation system, aided by social capital that is located in the social relationships of actors. However, the level of human and social interaction in regional innovation systems has been largely neglected as a research topic. Empirical research on a sample in the Lahti region in Finland suggested three forms of social capital: organisational bonding social capital, regional bridging social capital and personal creative social capital. Further analysis revealed three groups of actors’ interaction behaviour: Missionaries, House Mice and the Passive Resistance.
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ABSTRACT This paper seeks to build an insight to the systemic models of family business from the closed-open systems perspective. We focus on family business system models, on the characteristics of open systems, and on the subsystems... more
ABSTRACT This paper seeks to build an insight to the systemic models of family business from the closed-open systems perspective. We focus on family business system models, on the characteristics of open systems, and on the subsystems content of family system and ownership system in the family business context. The contemporary research on family business system models suggests that an open-systems approach is particularly useful in combining various elements of a family business together. This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a family business portfolio specializing in flowers. We conclude with notions of open system perspective on family business system models; and we suggest that the open system perspective brings new insight into the concept of family business, and it has important methodological implications to family business research.
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The main objective of this research paper is to find out how academic researchers can utilize their expertise in promoting SME networking. This research paper summarizes the findings of the networking project financed by the European... more
The main objective of this research paper is to find out how academic researchers can utilize their expertise in promoting SME networking. This research paper summarizes the findings of the networking project financed by the European Social Foundation (ESF) and the Finnish Ministry of Labour. The project was implemented in 1995-1998 by the University of Vaasa in Finland. The point of departure in this action research project was, on the one hand, the growing interest of SMEs for different networking models and, on the other hand, the university researchers' networking-related experiences and expertise that they wanted to offer to entrepreneurs. The purpose of the project was to develop an interactive networking process between researchers and entrepreneurs and, thereby promote different cooperative ventures, which were in different phases of development. The interventions made by researchers have focused on three levels: attitudinal, cognitive and operative level. The attitudin...
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This paper introduces a contextual model of ownership that consists of social, action and object dimensions. We build on business ownership and family business literatures as well as that of the psychology of ownership to analyze small... more
This paper introduces a contextual model of ownership that consists of social, action and object dimensions. We build on business ownership and family business literatures as well as that of the psychology of ownership to analyze small business owner-managers ’ ownership profiles. In the empirical section we show that distinct ownership profiles can be identified and that those owner-managers who view their business as a family business have distinct profiles from those of non-family business owners. Our analysis shows that family business profiles include care-taking, stewardship and continuity as well as a perception of the company as a tool for achieving other valuable things in the world outside the www.jyu.fi/econ/ejfbs
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There has been hardly any research about the management tools and the holistic performance measurement systems which are very important when managing SME networks. The present study is based on two different perspectives to produce added... more
There has been hardly any research about the management tools and the holistic performance measurement systems which are very important when managing SME networks. The present study is based on two different perspectives to produce added value to discussion on networking. These perspectives are a system view and a view that considers networks as entities. In the present study, the main objective is to create and operationalise a network-level performance measurement system for SME networks. The second objective is to analyse a case network by the means of this performance measurement system. The third objective is to discuss the challenges of building this kind of network-level performance measurement system.
Abstract In spite of the high failure rates of later-generation family companies, the research on family firm strategic renewals has been limited. The role of the owners in these situations, in particular, remains underexplored. We... more
Abstract In spite of the high failure rates of later-generation family companies, the research on family firm strategic renewals has been limited. The role of the owners in these situations, in particular, remains underexplored. We address this research gap and suggest that the owners of a family firm can take an active resource role in triggering and supporting change, and by balancing the disruption through bridging the firm's new direction with the past. We propose a framework that illustrates the relationships between the conditions for renewal, strategies for renewal and the owners' behaviour. In addition, we theorise that the owners' influence is not only carried out via active board membership, but also indirectly via the owners' discussions with the TMT and between family members.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of the opportunities offered by teacher and school autonomy in entrepreneurship education with companies involved. The research question was: How do schools and teachers use their... more
The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization of the opportunities offered by teacher and school autonomy in entrepreneurship education with companies involved. The research question was: How do schools and teachers use their autonomy in the implementation of entrepreneurship education? This research question was complemented by two additional research questions that were: How does teacher autonomy benefit the implementation of entrepreneurship education? and How do teachers want to utilize autonomy in teaching? This qualitative study used content analyses and the data were collected via semi-structured interviews, with a total of 35 people from 23 schools in Finland. The findings show that school and teacher autonomy brought excellent results in implementing entrepreneurship education and, in these cases, the message of the curriculum worked as fuel for the activities carried out by the school and the teachers. At the same time, some groups of schools and teachers disreg...
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Family business groups are highly complex ownership structures. In this chapter, we suggest that owning a family business group needs to create benefits that overcome the transaction costs and ownership costs emerging from the... more
Family business groups are highly complex ownership structures. In this chapter, we suggest that owning a family business group needs to create benefits that overcome the transaction costs and ownership costs emerging from the complexities of ownership. We separate the effects of ownership into two main categories: the legal effects and the emotional effects. In terms of legal ownership, the control over the business and its resources suggests a freedom to operate the businesses and claims on their resources, to append new businesses to the FBG, to organize their relationships between the separate businesses and to exit from the businesses at will. The emotional benefits include the service of the owners’ self-deserving interests, positive effects on the family cohesion and togetherness and growth in social recognition and status. It seems that ownership along with its multiple effects may play a more vital role in explaining the development of family business groups than has been p...
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In this chapter, we sum up the lessons learned about family business groups. The chapter highlights some of the contributions of the separate chapters in the book and shows that many of the chapters in fact open up new perspectives into... more
In this chapter, we sum up the lessons learned about family business groups. The chapter highlights some of the contributions of the separate chapters in the book and shows that many of the chapters in fact open up new perspectives into studying family business groups, thus providing possibilities for further studies. We suggest that while this book has covered a wide range of the entrepreneurial, managerial and contextual issues related to the emergence and prevalence of family business groups, research on family business groups is still in its infancy. We conclude with a set of ideas for further research on the topic.
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Teollisuuden rakennemuutoksen myota pk-yrityskanta on Etela-Karjalan alueen elinvoimaisuudelle tarkeampi kuin koskaan. Kehittyakseen pienista keskikokoisiksi yritykset tarvitsevat lisaa osaamista paitsi johtoon myos hallituksiinsa. Tahan... more
Teollisuuden rakennemuutoksen myota pk-yrityskanta on Etela-Karjalan alueen elinvoimaisuudelle tarkeampi kuin koskaan. Kehittyakseen pienista keskikokoisiksi yritykset tarvitsevat lisaa osaamista paitsi johtoon myos hallituksiinsa. Tahan selvitykseen on koottu Pk-yritysten hallitustoiminta Etela-Karjalassa -hankkeen tuloksia. Hanketta rahoittivat Euroopan sosiaalirahasto ja Hameen ELY-keskus ja se toteutettiin Lappeenrannan teknillisen yliopiston toimesta vuosien 2014-2015 aikana. Hankkeen keskeisena tavoitteena oli vahvistaa Etela-Karjalassa sijaitsevien pk-kokoluokan yritysten hallitustyota ja hallitusten hyodyntamismahdollisuuksia seka lisata pk-yrityksissa toimivien hallitusjasenten osaamista pk-yritysten hallitusjasenilta vaadittavista taidoista ja osaamisalueista. Hankkeen toisena tavoitteena oli selvittaa Suomessa toimivien venalaisomisteisten yritysten hallitustoiminnan erityispiirteita. Hankkeen aikana toteutettiin koulutuksia ja tyopajatoimintaa seka laadittiin kaksi julka...
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Small and middle sized companies (SME) are important for local economies. Networking of SME is often considered to be a vital activity as well in production operations but also in innovation activities (Vesalainen 2006, Bessant and Tidd... more
Small and middle sized companies (SME) are important for local economies. Networking of SME is often considered to be a vital activity as well in production operations but also in innovation activities (Vesalainen 2006, Bessant and Tidd 2007.) From the perspective of small businesses the value networks (Vanhaverberke & Cloodt 2006) provide an interesting opportunity. Instead of mere value chain co-operation, the value networks open up new approaches to horizontal co-operation and opportunity to use the small businesses' own core competencies in a wider context. While the access to traditional value chain networks has been dominantly difficult for the smallest businesses, in value networks the access is largely dependent on the entrepreneur's personal contacts and social relationships. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the formation process of a SME value network focusing on the development of a small suburb. Through this analysis we seek to illustrate how regional Livi...
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This paper introduces a contextual model of ownership that consists of social, action and object dimensions. We build on business ownership and family business literatures as well as that of the psychology of ownership to analyze small... more
This paper introduces a contextual model of ownership that consists of social, action and object dimensions. We build on business ownership and family business literatures as well as that of the psychology of ownership to analyze small business owner-managers’ ownership profiles. In the empirical section we show that distinct ownership profiles can be identified and that those ownermanagers who view their business as a family business have distinct profiles from those of non-family business owners. Our analysis shows that family business profiles include care-taking, stewardship and continuity as well as a perception of the company as a tool for achieving other valuable things in the world outside the
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The purpose of the extended summary is to develop the understanding of the existence and reasons behind barriers to growth and development in small firms. More specifically, four questions are addressed: (1) What do we know about the term... more
The purpose of the extended summary is to develop the understanding of the existence and reasons behind barriers to growth and development in small firms. More specifically, four questions are addressed: (1) What do we know about the term barrier, how can it be defined? (2) What types of barriers to growth and development have been identified? (3) How can barriers to growth and development be addressed in a framework? and (4) How do the results of the appended papers (Papers I-V) contribute to the research field of barriers to growth and development?A literature review was undertaken to answer the first two questions. The literature review was conducted in two phases. The conceptual and operational definition of barriers was addressed in the first phase. The results reveal diverse ways of focusing on barriers, which made it necessary to address similar terms, such as problem and causes of business failure in the second phase of the literature review. The different terms used in the ...
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INTRODUCTION Since Kilby's hunting of the Heffalump, determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour (1) have been searched for in various directions. It is somewhat surprising that even today there prevails an (at least implicit)... more
INTRODUCTION Since Kilby's hunting of the Heffalump, determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour (1) have been searched for in various directions. It is somewhat surprising that even today there prevails an (at least implicit) understanding and belief in homogeneous Heffalumps. That is to say, we do not take into account seriously enough the great variation in entrepreneurial roles and types when trying to understand and find linkages between personal characteristics and entrepreneurial behaviour. Thus, instead of searching for one Heffalump, we should rather search for the species or tribe of those important actors. While searching for these characters, it is important to note that the mode of appearance of entrepreneurial actors varies to a great degree. That is a fact that is very explicit in entrepreneurship literature. However, in research focusing on the determinants of entrepreneurial behaviour the distinction between different forms of 'entrepreneurial behaviour' i...
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There are explicit calls for deeper understanding of the creation and development of family business groups. Responding to this gap in the body of knowledge, this chapter presents a case study highlighting the role of portfolio... more
There are explicit calls for deeper understanding of the creation and development of family business groups. Responding to this gap in the body of knowledge, this chapter presents a case study highlighting the role of portfolio entrepreneurship in the development of a family business group. This chapter opted for an exploratory case study approach and interviews were conducted with the founder—that is, with the portfolio entrepreneur—and the second-generation members. This research highlights three important points in family business group development: first, the group grows out from entrepreneurial actions; second, entrepreneurial objectives turn to family objectives; and third, the groups are able to remain rather loose due to close social bonds between the owners.
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This chapter contributes to the existing research by providing an exhaustive theoretical overview of the family business group phenomenon. In this chapter, we present an overview of three parallel streams of literature which are relevant... more
This chapter contributes to the existing research by providing an exhaustive theoretical overview of the family business group phenomenon. In this chapter, we present an overview of three parallel streams of literature which are relevant to the understanding of family business groups. These are the mainstream economic, management and organizational studies of large-scale corporate business groups; the small firm-orientated portfolio entrepreneurship literature; and the family business literature. While these theoretical treatments provide insights into the nature, diversity and persistence of business groups, it seems that none of them has focused on the emergence of business groups. Additionally, research seems to have neglected the question how family ownership changes the operation and complexity of business groups. This theoretical overview suggests that there is considerable scope for theory building in researching family business groups.
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Artikli eesmärk on uurida koolijuhtide tegevust ettevõtlusõpet toetavate võrgustike arendamisel. Uurimuses keskendume sellele osale koolijuhtide tegevusest, mis on seotud ettevõtlusõppe arendamisega koolides. Täpsemalt öeldes... more
Artikli eesmärk on uurida koolijuhtide tegevust ettevõtlusõpet toetavate võrgustike arendamisel. Uurimuses keskendume sellele osale koolijuhtide tegevusest, mis on seotud ettevõtlusõppe arendamisega koolides. Täpsemalt öeldes vaatleme, kuidas kaasavad koolijuhid väliseid huvirühmi koolide tegevusse. Uurimuse ajendiks sai asjaolu, et kuigi ettevõtlusõpet toetavad välised huvirühmad on olemas, ei kasuta koolijuhid ja koolid pakutavaid võimalusi täiel määral ära. Meie arvates võib kooliväliste huvirühmade kaasamine sõltuda koolijuhtide isikuomadustest, mistõttu uurime, kas ja kuidas mõjutab koolijuhtide taust kooliväliste huvirühmade kaasamist. Sellele lisaks proovime selgusele jõuda, kuidas mõjutab koolijuhtide osalemine ettevõtlusõppekoolitusel kooliväliste huvirühmade kaasamist. Uurimismeetodina kasutame dispersioonanalüüsi ja lineaarset regressioonanalüüsi. Valim koosneb 173 Soome üldhariduskooli koolijuhist. Artikliga täiendame ettevõtlusõppele pühendatud teaduskirjandust, analü...
The objective of this case-based study is to provide insights into the advisory role of non-family board members in a family firm attempting strategic renewal. By studying the non-family board members of a family firm in a Nordic country,... more
The objective of this case-based study is to provide insights into the advisory role of non-family board members in a family firm attempting strategic renewal. By studying the non-family board members of a family firm in a Nordic country, we suggest that non-family board members’ advisory role evolves in a dynamic way. We show at the micro-level how the role, content, intensity, and locus of advice change and how it can be both inertia- and stress-inducing. This facilitates the renewal and hence a firm’s capacity to improve its alignment with changing external demands. We highlight the collaborative nature of the advisory role and the importance of the non-family member chair in ensuring effective board processes. Through our research we contribute to the understanding on the contextual nature of the board roles and tasks and on family firm renewals. We provide insights into how the family firm owners and the chair of the board can enhance the prospects that the non-family board mem...
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The regional impact of entrepreneurial universities is a well-researched topic, but less attention is paid to the expectations of the regional policy institutes toward the university. This chapter investigates the regional policy... more
The regional impact of entrepreneurial universities is a well-researched topic, but less attention is paid to the expectations of the regional policy institutes toward the university. This chapter investigates the regional policy expectations toward the university and what the influence of the university to these expectations is. This study is based on a technological university case in a peripheral region in Finland. The results of the study show that the existence of a single university leads easily to a university-dominant policy and thus to a regional policy lock-in. Consequently, the implementation of the regional policies can be in the hands of the university, leaving other regional stakeholders with a minor role. In order to fully utilize the potential of the university to address the specific regional challenges, the university should not only be seen as a locus of new spin-offs and start-ups, but rather as a producer of qualified graduates and future entrepreneurs.
Previous research into entrepreneurial learning has focused mainly on defining its aims; however, there seems to be little discussion on understanding the barriers or incentives involved when carrying out the pedagogical solutions that... more
Previous research into entrepreneurial learning has focused mainly on defining its aims; however, there seems to be little discussion on understanding the barriers or incentives involved when carrying out the pedagogical solutions that would enable entrepreneurial learning. In this study, we examine basic education level schools’ cooperation with outside partners, especially from the school principals’ and teachers’ viewpoints. The study aims to understand the perspectives of teachers and principals on planning and organizing school-company interaction. To do this, content analysis was used in this qualitative study. The data were collected via semi-structured interviews with school teachers and principals, involving a total of 35 people working in basic education. The findings of the study show that principals and teachers intentionally select long-term cooperation methods to meet the aims of entrepreneurial learning. On the other hand, teachers that have chosen to apply short-term...
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The purpose of this article is to examine the principals’ networking activities in entrepreneurship education. In this study, we are interested in the principals’ actions, when they aim at developing entrepreneurship education in their... more
The purpose of this article is to examine the principals’ networking activities in entrepreneurship education. In this study, we are interested in the principals’ actions, when they aim at developing entrepreneurship education in their schools. More precisely, the focus is on how principals utilize external stakeholders in the school context. Our motivation for conducting this study is based on the assumption that while there are external stakeholders supporting entrepreneurship education, principals and their schools are not fully utilizing them. We suggest that the use of external stakeholders may be related to the personal characteristics of the principals, and therefore we examine if or how the background characteristicsof the principals explain their use of external stakeholders. Furthermore, we aim at understanding how principals’ participation in entrepreneurship education related training explains the level of use of external stakeholders. As a method, analysis of variance a...
By focusing on family owners’ perceptions and dynamics the aim of this paper is to understand the specific goals associated to their ownership status and whether and to what extend they impact on family firms’ growth and continuity. We... more
By focusing on family owners’ perceptions and dynamics the aim of this paper is to understand the specific goals associated to their ownership status and whether and to what extend they impact on family firms’ growth and continuity. We use survey data on Finnish family firms and identify a set of differentiated family owners’ goals. Our findings contribute to the debate on differentiating socioemotional wealth by untangling the existence of variations in family principals’ goal setting and the importance to also consider that financial motives could determine family owners’ goals.
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The purpose of this study is to add to the literature on entrepreneurial university ecosystems by highlighting the ways in which academics engage or decouple in entrepreneurship processes and thereby in the emerging entrepreneurial... more
The purpose of this study is to add to the literature on entrepreneurial university ecosystems by highlighting the ways in which academics engage or decouple in entrepreneurship processes and thereby in the emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem. The study extends our understanding of the emergence of an entrepreneurial university ecosystem by providing an in-depth analysis of a Finnish university campus, investigating how individuals’ perceptions respond to societal and institutional demands for the fostering of entrepreneurship. The findings suggest that education and research are regarded as the highly institutionalized logics of universities, and these logics tend to be maintained since more rewards are associated with them than are associated with the logic of entrepreneurial actions. These competing logics lead to conflicting interests and cause intentional and unintentional decoupling in the adaptation and implementation of entrepreneurial actions in universities.
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Utilising external relationships is one of the most important strategies and tools for small- and medium-sized firms to expand their business in a flexible way. The entrepreneurial search for new advantages and growth through cooperation... more
Utilising external relationships is one of the most important strategies and tools for small- and medium-sized firms to expand their business in a flexible way. The entrepreneurial search for new advantages and growth through cooperation has resulted in new hybrid forms of organizing. The objectives of the paper are threefold: (1) To briefly review the previous literature dealing with interfirm
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ABSTRACT Different approaches and methodologies for entrepreneurship education have been introduced for schools. However, a better theoretical and empirical understanding of the antecedents of entrepreneurship education is needed. The... more
ABSTRACT Different approaches and methodologies for entrepreneurship education have been introduced for schools. However, a better theoretical and empirical understanding of the antecedents of entrepreneurship education is needed. The authors analyze what entrepreneurship education practices are used in schools and what role the school and the teacher are playing in determining the entrepreneurship education practices. The data cover school levels from basic to upper secondary education. The findings indicate that the training teachers have received in entrepreneurship seems to be the main factor determining the observable entrepreneurship education provided by the teachers. Further studies on the antecedents of entrepreneurship education are encouraged.
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ABSTRACT This paper deals with a special case of virtual organisation and SME-networking -- a hotel of small firms. This kind of network organisation represents the latest stage of development in business where different kinds of... more
ABSTRACT This paper deals with a special case of virtual organisation and SME-networking -- a hotel of small firms. This kind of network organisation represents the latest stage of development in business where different kinds of resources and activities are scattered in separate units, i.e firms, and on the other hand where these small units endeavour to function in intensive cooperation with each other. The main objective of this paper is to discuss the special characteristics of a hotel of small firms as one type of virtual organisation. The discussion is based on one empirical case. Moreover, the discussion will focus on the practical implications of the supporting of small business networks. Introduction Today, interfirm cooperation among small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs) goes beyond simple modes of networking. The entrepreneurial search for new advantages through cooperation has resulted in many new hybrid forms of organisation. This paper deals with a special case of virtual organis...