Explorers, Audacious, Hesitant, and Hermetics: N-Helix Dynamics and Collaboration Behavior in Latin America Family Firms

Abstract

This research aims to explore the collaborative behavior of family firms based on their partners, the objective of cooperation, their market position, and the intensity of competition. This research used a N-Helix approach and implemented a multiple correspondence analysis in a sample of 127 Chilean family businesses of different ages, sizes, and industries. According to their collaboration behaviors, the data analysis proposes that family firms may be grouped into four clusters: explorers, audacious, hesitant, and hermetics. These clusters are defined principally by the number of collaborators and the goals of the collaboration. Additionally, Triple Helix and dyadic collaborative partnerships have been identified when exploring the cooperative behavior of family firms. These research findings have implications for understanding the dynamics of family firms' collaboration and analyzing the critical strategical issues found in family firms' collaborative behavior.