Chairpersons’ hubris and internationalization: evidence from emerging market’s family business groups

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the association between chairperson hubris and the internationalization of firms belonging to business groups in an emerging market, India, under the boundary conditions of business group internationalization and the tenure of independent board members. Design/methodology/approach: Archival data of 163 Indian family firms over a five-year period were used. Findings: The study highlights the significance of chairperson hubris in determining the internationalization of family firms in India and the influence that business group internationalization and the tenure of independent board members have on the chairperson hubris and firm internationalization relationships. Originality/value: Although literature exists on drivers of internationalization, micro-foundations theories such as chairperson hubris have been less explored in the international business literature, especially in the context of emerging markets.