Digital transformation introduces a new set of parameters for firm innovation. Existing literature has found that family firms vary on their willingness to innovate. However, explanations of the factors that lead to a family firm’s (un)willingness to act remain scarce. Even more scarce are studies exploring the family firm’s (un)willingness in the digital transformation. The digital transformation is a promising environmental stimulus to unpack family firm (un)willingness due to its disruptive nature. This research uses a comparative multiple case study of 14 manufacturing family firms. The novel findings identify a variety of dispositions that can be divided into willingness-enabling and willingness-suppressing. Willingness affects how family firms potentially (do not) take advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital transformation. The contributions are twofold. First, the importance of considering the heterogeneity of family firms’ willingness toward digital transformation is highlighted. Second, by identifying the role of dispositions and related mechanisms we unpack the heterogeneity of the willingness. In sum, we provide a much-needed explanation of family firms in the digital transformation.

数字化转型为公司创新引入了一组新的参数。现有文献发现，家族企业的创新意愿各不相同。然而，对导致家族企业（不）愿意采取行动的因素的解释仍然很少。探索家族企业在数字化转型中（不）愿意的研究更为稀缺。由于其破坏性，数字化转型是一种很有前途的环境刺激措施，可以消除家族企业（不）的意愿。本研究使用了 14 家制造业家族企业的多个比较案例研究。新的发现确定了多种倾向，可分为意愿赋能和意愿抑制 。意愿会影响家族企业如何潜在地（不） 利用数字化转型提供的机会。贡献是双重的。首先，强调了考虑家族企业数字化转型意愿的异质性的重要性。其次，通过识别性格和相关机制的作用，我们解开了意愿的异质性。总之，我们对数字化转型中的家族企业进行了急需的解释。