家族企業是普遍存在於各國的企業系統，台灣也不例外，大部份的中小企業都是家族企業，即便是大型公開上市櫃的公司，也直接或間接受到特定家族所控制，家族企業的重要決策通常由家族成員主導，家族成員的利益及心智模式將影響企業未來的策略走向，而國際化對家族企業長期發展具有策略上的重要性，因此，本研究將針對家族企業的特質如何影響國際化進行系統性的探討，預計探討的問題有四個，包括(1)從代理理論的觀點比較家族所權高低對於國際化決策是否有不同的態度，是否較高的家族所有權就會比較傾向於進行國際化活動；(2)家族企業的董事會組成結構如何影響其國際化決策，家族企業引進外部(非家族成員)董事是否會強化家族企業進行國際化的意向；(3)家族企業與非家族企業對於企業國際擴張速度是否有差異，家族企業相較於非家族企業是否更快啟動國際化行動；(4)最後探討家族企業的第二代(或第三代)企業領導者對於企業的國際化決策是否會產生不同的影響，亦即瞭解家族企業權力世代傳承對於國際化決策的影響。
Family-controlled business (family business) is a prevalent business system in many countries of the world. In Taiwan, most of SMEs are categorized as the kind of family business. Even large public-listed companies, they are usually directly or indirectly controlled by a certain family. The critical decisions of family business are usually made by family members who dominant corporate strategies by incorporating their family interests in priority into the decisions. Internationalization plays a strategic role in corporate long-term development and growth. This research intends to investigate the relationships between family business attributes and firm international diversification. The research questions are described as follows: (1) based on agency theory, this research intends to investigate whether family ownership will trigger companies to engage in internationalizing activities. Do companies with higher family ownership be more likely to internationalize? (2) How does board composition of family business influence the international diversification? Does family business appoint outside directors on the board increase the propensity of family business to internationalize? (3) Does speed of international expansion differ between family and nonfamily business? Does family business engage in international expansionary activities faster than their nonfamily counterparts? (4) Does power transition from the first to the second or third generation leaders have significant impacts on internationalizing activities? This research also intends to understand the impacts of power transitions of family business on firm international diversification. In summary, this research extends prior literature to investigate the family business attributes and international diversification.
