Values and longevity in family business: evidence from a cross‐cultural analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to offer an empirical study on the particular topic of the role of values on longevity of family firms in order to open the future research agenda. Design/methodology/approach – To analyse the first issue, the article contrasts samples from Spain, Italy, France and Finland. The second and third issues are focused on the Spanish sample, but, to enrich the debate, Italian and French samples have also been included. Findings – The present paper seeks to shed light on this stream of research by developing an analysis that focuses on three key elements: the ranking of values that have the most influence on family business longevity, the process of value transmission, and the condition of longevity as an asset. Originality/value – The link between longevity and values has been pointed out by several authors, who underlined values as an important factor to support a long‐term vision, as well as a source of competitive advantage based on using values as specific company resources. Nevertheless, not many empirical works have dealt with this topic.