Corinna M. Lindow substantiates, develops, and tests a strategic fit perspective on family firm performance in order to contribute to explaining previous inconclusive findings. In particular, she aims at investigating whether strategic fit determines family firm performance and what role family influence plays. Based on a sample of German family firms, the author indicates that, against expectations, family firms performance is not driven by strategic fit but through the effective use of family-specific factors such as family business governance and family culture. Further, the results suggest that family influence has important implications for strategy, organizational structure, and the achievement of strategic fit.

Dr. Corinna Lindow completed her dissertation at the Chair of Strategic Management and Organization at HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management (Germany) and at the Cox Family Enterprise Center of the Kennesaw State University (USA).

Family firms as research objects.- Literature review on family firm performance research.- A strategic fit perspective on family firm performance.- Empirical analyses regarding the association between family influence, strategic fit, and firm performance