Abstract
Using social networks, we examined the founder’s influence on key strategic behaviors in Mexican family business. First, we drew on a sample of 42 Mexican family businesses and 201 managers to show how founder centrality affects the top management group (TMG) members’ cohesiveness. TMG members’ cohesiveness was examined in terms of the firm’s culture, its strategic vision, and strategic goals. Second, we examined how founder centrality and top management member group cohesiveness are related to performance in terms of financial, social and family-oriented objectives. Significant relationships were found between a founder’s centrality and the TMGs strategic behavior. Further, significant results connect different aspects of the founder’s centrality and the TMGs strategic behavior to financial, social and family-oriented objectives.