Investigating social capital, trust and commitment in family business: case of media firms

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Tajpour ◽  
Aidin Salamzadeh ◽  
Yashar Salamzadeh ◽  
Vitor Braga

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate social capital's effect on family business development in selected family media firms.Design/methodology/approachThe statistical population includes 100 individuals who run a family business in this industry. Eighty individuals are selected as the research sample through the stratified random sampling method. The data are collected using a questionnaire. The authors used structural equation modelling method for data analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that social capital affects the development of family businesses in media firms. According to the results obtained from the structural equation test, the effect of the relational dimension of social capital on trust and the effect of the cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital on trust are supported, while the effect of the relational dimension of social capital on commitment as well as the effect of the cognitive dimension of social capital on trust are not supported.Practical implicationsThis research could help family firms in media industries improve trust and commitment by paying attention to different aspects of social capital. Besides, it shows that even the impact of relational and cognitive social capital, respectively, on commitment and trust, are not supported; these two could affect trust and commitment, respectively.Originality/valueThe paper is among the first studies that investigate family firms in media industries. Besides, the relationships between relational, cognitive and structural aspects of social capital and trust and commitment are rarely studied in the literature as two determinants of family business development.

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten Schmidts ◽  
Deborah Shepherd

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use social identity theory to explore factors that contribute to the development of family social capital. Effects are investigated both for the family and the business. Design/methodology/approach – A single in-depth case study focussing on the family unit was coducted within a fourth-generation family business involved in the arts retailing. Findings – The findings suggest that social identity theory is a useful lens to explore the development of family social capital. The six themes identified highlight that there is a normative and an affective dimension, leading to family members’ desire to uphold the status of the business. Evidence suggests that the normative factors may be both positively and negatively related to the development of family social capital, due to their potentially restrictive nature. Originality/value – The paper’s findings imply that social identity can contribute to understanding family dynamics. Evidence highlights various factors for family members that are not involved in the family business to uphold its status. This is attributed to the emotional significance of the business to the family’s identity. Furthermore, this paper suggests that the strong focus on norms and values, which developed gradually, may have adverse effects on the identification with the business and the willingness to uphold its status. Propositions are offered to provide guidance for future research to investigate this controversial evidence regarding the impact of value orientation on family social capital.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 898-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yosra Mani ◽  
Lassaad Lakhal

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how internal social capital – as a part of the familiness resources– affects family firm performance. The social capital theory states that internal social capital within family businesses is composed of three dimensions: the structural dimension, the relational dimension, and the cognitive dimension. The aim of the paper is to study the relationship between each dimension of internal social capital and family firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs an empirical investigation which is based on a sample of 114 Tunisian family firms. Findings – Results demonstrate that the structural and relational dimensions are positively associated with financial and non-financial family firm’s performance. However, the cognitive dimension has a significant positive effect on financial performance but not on non-financial family firm performance. Originality/value – The proposed model aims to test the direct effect of internal social capital dimensions on financial and non-financial family firm’s performance. Besides, there is a lack of empirical evidence aiming at understanding the impact of structural, cognitive and relational social capital on the performance of family firms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Felicitas Gargallo Castel ◽  
Carmen Galve Górriz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderated effect of family involvement on the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT) and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach According to agency and transaction cost theories, distinctive family business characteristics provide a unique context that favours a more efficient use of ICT. The authors perform a multivariate analysis that includes the moderating effect of family involvement and considers the possible endogeneity of the ICT variable. Findings The results, using a large panel of Spanish manufacturing firms, confirm the importance of family involvement for explaining differences in terms of the impact of this technology in family and non-family businesses. The relationship between ICT and performance is stronger for family firms than for non-family firms. Research implications The paper provides new evidence for the academic literature on ICT impact and family firms. It corroborates the importance of using an organizational perspective to explain differences in the effect of ICT on performance. Practical implications Family firms should understand the opportunities that family involvement offers regarding ICT impact on performance, and exploit this moderating effect to achieve competitive advantages. Originality/value No previous studies deal with the impact of family involvement on ICT-performance analysis. This study fills this gap and increases the understanding of how family business involvement moderates the ICT-performance relationship.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yupeng Xu ◽  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Fei Pan

Purpose Few studies have focused on the impact of conjugal control and non-conjugal control on the innovation capability of family firms. In the context of the relative lack of research on the relationship between family firm heterogeneity and innovation ability, this study aims to focus on the differentiated impact of husband–wife-controlled family listed companies and non-husband–wife-controlled family listed companies on their innovation capabilities, which provides empirical evidence with more Chinese institutional and cultural characteristics for the development of corporate organizational management and innovation theories. Design/methodology/approach Taking all A-share listed family firms from 2007 to 2016 as the research sample, this paper examines the influence of spousal control on firm innovation level by empirical research method. Findings The empirical results show that compared with non-spousal-controlled family enterprises, spousal-controlled family enterprises have significant positive effects on the level of enterprise innovation. Further studies suggest that joint management of spousal-controlled family enterprises improves the level of innovation. Authority difference of the couple will weaken the innovation capacity. However, the wife’s professional skills can promote the innovation level. Originality/value Focusing on the characteristics of family internal structure and embedding marriage relationship in the enterprise organization, this paper investigates the influence of different characteristics of husband and wife and cooperation mode on enterprise innovation, and the conclusion enriches the theory of family business and family science, as well as provides important information reference for the stakeholder groups in the capital market.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Hun Lee ◽  
Byoung-Chun Ha

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how the development of social capital can promote buyer’s bi-directional (inflow and outflow) information sharing. The authors examined buyers’ perceptional differences in information sharing: when they receive information from suppliers and when they provide information to suppliers, and how such inequivalent perception in information sharing can be resolved by the level of social capital and its’ sub-dimensions. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical model and the hypotheses were developed through literature review. Data were collected from Korean manufacturers in supply chains and structural equation modelling was used for analysis. Findings The results show that each dimension of social capital has a different effect on bi-directional information sharing. For the information inflow, all of the facets of social capital were significant; for the information outflow, however, only relational capital was significant. That is, with cognitive and structural capital, buyers perceive that they can receive appropriate information from suppliers yet be reluctant to provide information to suppliers. Practical implications Given that relational capital is essential for the balanced information sharing in buyer-supplier relationship, firms should pay attention to having social interactions with partners to promote trust in the relationship for efficacy in information sharing. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to explore the role of social capital in facilitating equivalent information sharing. This study develops a framework that social capital can provide valuable guidance in achieving equivalency of bi-directional information sharing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Safari ◽  
Reza Salehzadeh ◽  
Razieh Panahi ◽  
Samaneh Abolghasemian

Purpose The purpose of the present research is to investigate the impact of environmental knowledge and awareness on green behavior with respect to behavioral intentions, environmental attitude and green commitment as mediator variables. Design/methodology/approach The statistical population included the managers of Esfahan Mobarakeh Steel Company in Iran. In total, 135 questionnaires were distributed among relevant managers, out of which 120 questionnaires were returned and analyzed using structural equation modeling method. Findings The findings of the study showed that environmental knowledge and awareness has a significant direct effect on managers’ green behavior (β = 0.42). Also, environmental knowledge and awareness has a significant indirect effect on managers’ green behavior through behavioral intentions (β = 0.34), environmental attitude (β = 0.19) and green commitment (β = 0.33). Originality value This study is among the first to simultaneously investigate the multiple pathways from environmental knowledge and awareness to green behavior. The second contribution of the present study is considering green behavior of personnel in the iron and steel industry in a developing country.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hedi Yezza ◽  
Didier Chabaud ◽  
Léo Paul Dana ◽  
Adnane Maalaoui

PurposeThis paper investigates the impact of bridging social capital on the financial and non-financial performance of family businesses and explores the mediation role of social skills in the context of family succession.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study, through questionnaires, was conducted among 105 Tunisian family firms that have experienced a family succession for at least one year. The PLS-SEM analysis method was used to test the research hypothesis.FindingsResults show that an increase in external social capital is positively associated with financial performance and family-centred non-economic goals, whereas social skills mediate this positive relationship.Originality/valueThe proposed model aims to test the direct effect of bridging social capital on family firms' performance and exploring the mediation role of the successor's social skills.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-718
Author(s):  
Fang Xiong ◽  
Jia Lu You

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact paths of the social capital and the effects of microfinance in rural China, and address effective methods to enhance the effects of microfinance for rural China. Design/methodology/approach Using a structural equation model with survey data from 350 rural households in China, this paper analyzes empirically whether greater level of social sanctions and social relations caused more tangible effects of microfinance, and whether tangible effects of microfinance are associated with social capital formation of households. Findings The results indicate that social capital promotes the effects of microfinance and the process of providing microfinance service is also the process of building social capital. Moreover, social sanctions diminish the effects of microfinance while social relations boost them and enhance the effects of microfinance that can encourage social capital formation. Results also show that a reverse causal relationship exists between social sanctions and social relations. Research limitations/implications The empirical results imply that actively utilizing and creating social capital is vital to improve the effects of microfinance, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) should concentrate more on harmonious social relations and deliberately build social capital. Practical implications These findings imply that actively utilizing and creating social capital is vital to improve the effects of microfinance, and the MFIs should concentrate more on harmonious social relations and deliberately build social capital to enhance the effects of microfinance while prudently use social sanctions. Social implications Enhancing the effects of microfinance, while prudently using social sanctions, increases households income. Originality/value This paper originates to investigate the links between the social capital and the effects of microfinance in a mutual way, and the results urge more attentions on the harmonious social relations which have been ignored to enhance the effects of microfinance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cizhi Wang ◽  
Giulia Flamini ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Rong Pei ◽  
Chiyin Chen

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to adopt a collective perspective in the study of entrepreneurial decision-making processes and empirically analyse the ways in which social relationships between family members can shape their collective entrepreneurial decision-making behaviour (ED).Design/methodology/approachThis paper considers the family social capital (FSC) in inducing overall conformity to the focal family member's decision to exploit an opportunity. In terms of the seminal construct of social capital, the authors propose three FSC dimensions that can be used to induce conformity: structural, relational and cognitive dimensions. Then, the authors design questionnaires to collect data pertaining to the relationships between the family members' ED and the FSC. Finally, the authors collect 152 valid questionnaires from Chinese family firms.FindingsThe data analysis consists of two parts. The first section of this paper analyses conformity by testing the discriminant validity of models. Regression analysis is then used to test the relationship between family members' ED and the FSC. Significant relationships between the cognitive dimension of FSC and the entrepreneur's decision-making are found.Originality/valueThe research contributes towards academic literature concerning both entrepreneurship and social capital. On the one hand, this paper is one of the rare pieces of entrepreneurial research that responds to the call for the study of entrepreneurship from a collective perspective. On the other hand, our study quantitatively tests the impact of FSC at a multidimensional level. It provides conclusions regarding the social influence of other family members and provides insights into social capital by studying entrepreneurship from a social/community perspective.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1731-1760
Author(s):  
Josefa D. Martín-Santana ◽  
M. Katiuska Cabrera-Suárez ◽  
M. de la Cruz Déniz-Déniz

Purpose This paper aims to analyse if the family influence on the firm and the relational dynamics inside the family and the firm could create specific familiness resources, which lead to a stronger market orientation (MO) of the family firms (FFs). Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a cross-industry sample of 374 managers in 174 Spanish FFs. Structural equation modelling is used to test the research hypotheses. Findings The climate of family relationships is going to affect the firm’s MO through the influence that this climate has on two relational social capital variables, one in the family area (the identification of the family managers with the FF) and the other in the business area (the level of trust between the members [family and non-family] of the top management teams [TMTs]). Research limitations/implications This study contributes to the literature on the under-researched topic of MO in the FFs by going beyond earlier studies focusing on FFs’ explicit attributes, such as their names, as potential explanatory variables of their marketing behaviour. This study also proposes and analyses new internal antecedents of MO based on the social capital of the firm. Practical implications Business families should promote the adequate governance mechanisms to enhance the quality of family social capital to promote the firms’ social capital and ultimately their MO. With the same aim, family managers should try to orientate their leadership behaviour to transmit their own organizational identification to the rest of the firm’s employees. Also, open communication and shared values should be promoted within TMTs to reinforce firms’ social capital that leads to MO. Originality/value This paper integrates social capital literature with MO literature. It also contributes to the literature on FFs, and specifically to the issue of familiness, by analyzing the effect of specific FF characteristics on MO.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document