More than 15 years after the introduction of 'familiness' into the literature, the term has evolved into one of the most popular concepts in family firm research. Despite the steadily growing body of studies that build on familiness, recent calls suggest a need to revisit its conceptualisation due to a lack of a common understanding that could affect future research endeavours. In our systematic literature review of 25 studies, we find support for this notion and show that the discussion on the concept has reached a dead end. We present a systematisation of familiness research that highlights an inconsistent conceptualisation, a lack of validation and even a partial hijacking of the term into contexts different from those originally proposed by Habbershon and Williams (1999). Based on these findings, we present a research agenda aimed at overcoming the current limitations and rejuvenating familiness as a suitable approach to understanding family firm heterogeneity.

Purpose Literature on entrepreneurial resourcefulness (ER) has grown constantly in the last two decades. ER is a construct that describes the specific behavior of entrepreneurs, focusing on the generation and deployment of resources to pursue an opportunity. Since the ER literature has expanded and diversified, the purpose of this study is to integrate its findings with existing knowledge about the construct. Design/methodology/approach The study applies a systematic literature review approach, following the methodology of Tranfield et al. (2003). The authors identify and synthesize 31 studies focusing on ER. Findings The literature on ER can function on four different levels: (1) individual, (2) organizational, (3) contextual, and (4) effectual level. Studies on ER concentrate on either the individual or the organizational level, with the contextual and effectual levels appearing as additional study categories for the studies. Behind this categorization, research views ER either as an antecedent influencing a specific effect or as an outcome resulting from a particular context. Originality/value This paper is the first of its nature, structuring the existing ER research and proposing a research agenda on ER with seven concrete research avenues and their research questions. Based on the systematic literature review, the authors develop a framework consolidating the interrelations of the different levels.

Much attention has been devoted to the “first offer” in negotiation research. Rightly so, as strong empirical evidence shows that the first offer has a significant impact on the negotiated outcome and, therefore, is a highly relevant topic for negotiation scholars and practitioners. Scholars typically recommend making the first offer. However, in the field, we have observed an alternative opening tactic—asking for the best price that the counterpart is willing to accept. This question represents a real alternative to making the first offer by initiating the discussion of specific settlement proposals, provided the counterpart answers the query. Does it, however, lead the other side to make a better offer? How does the question impact the economic and relational outcomes of the negotiation? Is it advisable to use this tactic in negotiations? We investigated these questions based on a controlled laboratory experiment, in which 227 dyads of cellphone buyers and sellers negotiated synchronously via a text chat. We found that the best-price question has an impact on not only the first offer but also the negotiation outcome. When the buyers in our experiment asked the question, the results were not significantly different than those from negotiations in which they made the first offer. This effect was driven by the first offer in response to the question. Additionally, we found that the best-price question did not negatively impact the relational outcome. Moreover, the effect was reduced when list price information was available. These findings suggest rethinking the traditional view of the offer-counteroffer sequence and provide an alternative opening tactic to making the first offer in the context of high information asymmetry.

Despite being an alarming and widespread environmental issue, plastic pollution is still lacking an adequate response from the international community. The interconnection between (upstream) human activities and (downstream) environmental consequences has recently been recognized as a crucial element to consider for the prevention and minimization of plastic pollution. Production, consumption, and waste management have only recently begun to come into focus. Moreover, plastic pollution has long been framed as a marine issue. Over the last years, the role played by other ecosystems, such as freshwater ones, was widely underestimated. In this paper, we propose to analyze and discuss the relevant international legal framework from the perspective of the plastic life cycle. For each one of its stages – production and manufacturing, consumption, waste management and plastic pollution, we highlight opportunities and challenges offered by existing legal instruments. Then, in line with the efforts of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), we identify key aspects that could be covered by the upcoming ‘plastic treaty’. With a view to strengthening global plastics governance, we argue that the amendment of the legal instruments already in force will be as crucial as the adoption of a new international binding agreement.

This paper aims to systematically analyze and synthesize the existing research published on mental accounting and purchase decision processes by conducting a systematic literature review. Specifically, the paper aims to answer the question: "What are the effects of mental accounting on purchase decision processes?" Therefore, it identified 110 papers which contribute to achieving the research objective and which were selected using the same data collection, data analysis, and quality standards. After reviewing the identified publications, the paper finds that the existing literature can be structured along four main themes impacting purchase decision-making processes: (1) source of funds, (2) intended use of funds, (3) pricing, and (4) payments. The paper shows that for each of the four themes there are multiple mental accounting effects with an impact on for example willingness to pay, the experienced pain of paying or the ultimate purchase decision. Further, the paper identifies potential directions for future research in mental accounting, including the influence of product categories on mental accounting, flexibility in budget setting and its impact on mental accounting behavior, long-term effects of mental budgeting on financial wealth, integration-segregation behavior in the context of pricing, the role of consumer characteristics on mental accounting behavior, and the impact of increased financial transparency through technology on mental accounting.