| Summary: | This paper examines the effects of family control on a firm’s adoption of sustainability practices, with special attention given to the heterogeneity of the family business derived from the generational stage of the company. Using a panel of 166 Australian companies listed between 2011 and 2018, we found that family businesses have lower sustainability scores compared to non-family businesses, according to the predictions of the socioemotional wealth (SEW) approach. For a subsample of family businesses, we found that multi-generational family businesses score better on sustainability than firms managed by the founders (first-generation). The SEW perspective could explain the effects of family control based on the pursuit of non-economic goals and the higher risk-aversion of family businesses. The decline in non-economic goals resulting from the ageing of the company stimulates the adoption of better sustainability practices. The generational stage of a family business could be a moderator of the relationship between family control and the adoption of sustainability practices and is a central element in explaining the disparity in the sustainability policies within family businesses.
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