Family firms in Iberoamerican countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue on family firms in Iberoamerican countries. The special issue aims at enlarging our understanding of the uniqueness of family firms by providing new evidence from Iberoamerican countries about this widespread organizational type. The paper concludes by highlighting some areas in which the authors believe devoting more energy and resources, with new evidence from other samples, may be favourable to advancing the family business field. Design/methodology/approach – The authors revise relevant literature on the subject and integrate with the content of the papers published in the special issue. Findings – The paper introduces the articles in the special issue, places them in the current academic debate and highlights areas for future research. Practical implications – Provides a view of research on family firms in Iberoamerica, with indications of relevant potential areas for future research. Originality/value – The paper introduces four new articles on family firms in Iberoamerican countries and suggests areas for future research.