The interplay between digital social capital and family-owned SME performance: a study of social media business networks
Journal of Family Business Management
ISSN: 2043-6238
Article publication date: 23 September 2022
Issue publication date: 14 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationship between being members of social media business networks and SME performance by comparing business performance between family-owned SMEs that are members and non-members of social media business networks.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis empirically draws on cross-sectional data of 9,292 English and Welsh family-owned SMEs from the UK's Government Small Business Survey 2015. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) is applied to control for selection bias and differences in firm characteristics before comparing business performance, measured in terms of annual turnover, sales-growth intention and innovation between family-owned SMEs that are members and non-members of social media business networks.
Findings
The findings show that family-owned SMEs that are members of social media business networks are more likely to have higher prior turnover and to grow their sales than non-members. Also, they are more likely to report being innovative in products and processes than non-members. The empirical results acknowledge the importance of online business networks and digital social capital on enhanced family-owned business performance.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to explore the comparative analysis of business performance between family-owned SMEs that are members and non-members of social media business networks. This paper is important for the development of family business research by providing a comprehensive evidence-based analysis regarding the importance of online business networks to improve family-owned business performance, given the significant contribution of digital business activities to the UK economy.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for data which is available upon request at UK Data Service: www.ukdataservice.ac.uk.
Citation
Tiwasing, P., Kim, Y.R. and Sawang, S. (2023), "The interplay between digital social capital and family-owned SME performance: a study of social media business networks", Journal of Family Business Management, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 1026-1048. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFBM-07-2022-0103
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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