The Family Business and Its Social Responsibilities

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Gallo

The social responsibilities of family businesses are still a little-studied area. This article is based on the opinions of 44 academics who are directly involved in studying and advising this type of company. The study's results indicate that family businesses are better at carrying out the responsibilities of wealth creation and delivery of goods to the market than the development of individual skills and guaranteeing their long-term continuity.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Jessica Hastenteufel ◽  
Mareike Staub

Family businesses are an important part of every economy. They are characterized by long traditions that combine aspects such as trust and reliability, as well as by features such as innovativeness, foresight, long-term focus and flexibility. Both family businesses and the entrepreneurial families themselves do have some weaknesses and face current challenges like digitization, internationalization and demographic change. These issues must be kept in mind in order to constantly develop appropriate solutions that will help them survive and thrive in the market. Moreover, the high relevance of the family in a family business is associated with opportunities – for example, when a family strategy with clear values, roles and goals is defined, and a so called family business governance is developed.


2007 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Carney

The prevalence of minority family businesses in emerging markets has several theoretical and practical implications. First, a practical consequence of institutional weakness suggests that family businesses perform both wealth-creation and wealth-preservation tasks in an emerging market. Legal protection for property rights and financial institutions specializing in wealth reallocation and preservation are often ineffective in emerging markets. Lacking such security, the family business unit necessarily becomes something more than a value-creation device; it may also serve as a wealth-protection and intergenerational and/or geographical transmission device used to preserve and transfer wealth through various informal and often nontransparent means. Consequently, the financial goals of the family firm are subject to frequent trade-offs between entrepreneurial activities that generate new wealth and more defensive activities that preserve, hide, or allow for the geographic or intergenerational transmission of wealth.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 654-662
Author(s):  
Ineke A Koele ◽  
Rasmus K Feldthusen

Abstract This article explores how and why the traditional business succession system within family businesses needs to be reconsidered. Holding Foundations are generally overlooked although they provide a purpose-driven ownership structure with a stewardship governance that avoids family conflicts, taxation and dispersed ownership affecting the family business. In this article, the authors combine their experiences and insights from Denmark and the Netherlands with shareholder foundations of enterprises.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia di Belmonte ◽  
Claire Seaman ◽  
Richard Bent

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider multigenerational landed estates in Scotland from a family business perspective. The strategic vision for the business is considered here in terms of the family definition of success, drawing upon aspects of cultural identity, legal and fiscal systems and stewardship theory. Design/methodology/approach A social-constructivist epistemology framed this study, which considered perceptions of family business strategy, culture and family defined visions of success. Semi-structured interview techniques were utilized to collect primarily qualitative date. Findings Results indicate that the families shared a very cohesive definition of what constituted the family business and were very aware of the importance of long-term planning in the succession process. The cultural and legal dimension of primogeniture played a defining role in the choice of successors, developed from the belief that the successor is the steward of the family property rather than the “owner” in any personal sense. Key priorities for the family included the training of the heir and the limiting of potential taxation liabilities juxtaposed with the desire to retain family discretion in decision making. Practical implications By extending current research to businesses that have been successfully transferred between six or more generations this study offers a unique insight into the requirements for effective succession. This research also offers an insight into the strategic management of a group of “family businesses” where the economic and legislative environment have required families to plan, where smaller family businesses are often able to defer. Originality/value Multigenerational estates represent some of the oldest family businesses in Scotland, offering a unique sample group of businesses which have survived through six or more generations. The clarity of strategic vision and the perceived importance of long-term planning offer an insight into the reasons for business longevity.


10.28945/4340 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 199-234
Author(s):  
Kenneth Chukwujioke Agbim ◽  
Anthony Igwe

Aim/Purpose: This study seeks to investigate if participation in business association’s programs through the traditional and new media platforms influences family businesses in South Eastern Nigeria to diversify into similar or different businesses. Background: Before the advances in information and communication technology, businesses were carried on via the traditional media. The application of these advances has changed the way business communications and transactions are conducted globally in both family and non-family businesses. Businesses are adapting to today’s turbulent environment by opening similar or different businesses in the same or different locations that are hinged on the traditional and new media platforms. Nigerians are largely involved in social network through the traditional (face-to-face contact) and new media (e.g., Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram). Moreover, in spite of the commonplaceness of family businesses in Nigeria, these businesses still experience weak diversification, bankruptcy and loss of socio-emotional wealth. Consequent upon the foregoing, this paper specifically investigates if involvement in social network via the traditional media (i.e., participation in business association’s meetings, workshops, seminars) and the new media (i.e., participation in the business association’s interactive sessions on trending business issues through the association’s online social platform like WhatsApp, Twitter), influence family businesses in South Eastern Nigeria to diversify into similar or different businesses. Methodology: The study adopted a qualitative methodology. The qualitative data were generated via interview involving 30 purposively selected businesses from South Eastern Nigeria. This comprises 15 family businesses each that have respectively adopted related and unrelated diversification strategies. Two respondents (i.e., the business owner and a top level manager) each were drawn from the selected businesses. In all, 60 respondents were interviewed. Since the unit of analysis is the family business, the interview transcriptions from all the respondents were subjected to thematic content analysis on the basis of the family businesses. Contribution: Active involvement and participation in all the meetings, discussions, workshops and seminars of the social network via the traditional and new media platforms facilitates the adoption of related or unrelated diversification in family businesses. Moreover, the adoption of similar social network platforms like WhatsApp and Twitter in all the relationships among and between employees and managers, and the transactions of the businesses is one of the key factors for achieving successful related or unrelated diversification in family businesses. Findings: In spite of the risky nature of the business environment, the adoption of related diversification strategies is significantly influenced by resources such as business consultancy services garnered through the traditional and new media platforms of the social network. Also, family businesses that are actively involved in a social network where the actors interact through the traditional and new media are influenced by the resources acquired to consider adopting unrelated diversification. These resources include: better understanding of the nature of business challenges, environments and experiences; and different lines of businesses. Thus, the traditional and new media platforms are complementary in their roles. Recommendations for Practitioners: Family business owner-managers could use the findings to develop related or unrelated strategies for diversifying into existing or new markets. This can be through the localization of manufacturing plant, improvement of product packaging, sitting of sales outlet closer to the consumers, introduction of lower prices for products/services, introduction of new and better ways of service delivery, or development of more compelling promotion strategies. Recommendation for Researchers: As a veritable guide, this study could guide future researchers in the formulation of their objectives, selection of instrument for data collection and respondents, and adoption of method of data analysis. Impact on Society: Successful diversification suggests the establishment of new or more businesses. Consequently, these new or more family businesses are expected to translate to more employment opportunities and by extension reduction in unemployment and poverty rates in the society. Future Research: Further studies should be carried out to enhance the development of family businesses, contribute to the existing literature and ensure the generalization of the findings.


2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vitor Braga ◽  
Aldina Correia ◽  
Alexandra Braga ◽  
Sofia Lemos

Purpose The success of the family firms cannot be detached from the current paradigm where, within the present economic conditions, economic agents struggle to exploit the existing opportunities and need to take into account the risks associated to the international arena and the innovation processes. The internationalisation and innovation processes may trigger resistance within family business due to their relatively higher difficulty to take risks and to invest in industries outside the scope of their original core business. Innovation and internationalisation processes become relevant strategies for the family firms’ continuity and success. In line with such fact, the aim of this paper is to contribute with insights regarding the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family businesses. In particular, this paper aims to assess the propensity of such firms to apply such strategies, to identify the particular business behaviour and to assess the extent to which the particulars of family firms may constraint or lead to the implementation of innovation policies, and thus its internationalisation. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through questionnaires within family business aiming to understand the scope and characteristics of internationalisation and innovation processes within these firms. The 154 replies from such data collection were analysed using different multivariate statistic procedures, although this paper is based on factorial and correlation analysis. Findings The analysis of the results shows that there is an association between the processes of innovation and internationalisation within family business. In addition, the results also suggest a typology of firms regarding their innovation and internationalisation strategies and motivations. Research limitations/implications The results of this paper are, to some extent, limited because they did not allow comparing the findings with data from non-family business. However, the authors’ aim was not to distinguish family firms, but rather to characterise them. Practical implications This paper expects to contribute with lessons for the management of family business and to raise awareness of the constraints faced by family business. It is important to highlight that family business performance may be affected by a lower propensity to risk-taking attitudes, by the lack of non-family management and to the necessity of separating the family and the business in the business dimensions that the family limits the business growth. Originality/value Although there is a significant amount of the literature devoted to explore family business, innovation and internationalisation studies, very few draw on the relationship between internationalisation and innovation processes within family business. This paper explores such a relationship within a particular business context – the family dynamics that strongly affect management and business development.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Augusto Dalmoro Costa ◽  
Aurora Carneiro Zen ◽  
Everson dos Santos Spindler

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between family succession, professionalization and internationalization in family businesses within the Brazilian context.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a multiple-case study method with three Brazilian family businesses that have at least two generations of the owning family involved in the business and an international presence of at least three years. In-depth interviews and secondary data were undertaken with family and non-family members of each case.FindingsThe authors' results show that a family business can boost its internationalization by introducing both succession planning and professionalization on international activities. As family members tend to be more risk-averse and focused on keeping the family business within the family, professionalization is a way of improving the firm's ability to expand internationally. This process tends to lead to lower performance by the firm for the first few months or the first year after the investment, but afterward, international performance tends to grow exponentially.Originality/valueOnly a few studies have been concerned on the relationship of these three dimensions. Thus, the research takes into account that professionalization and succession lead family businesses to improve their internationalization strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Rafael Contreras-Lozano ◽  
Maria Virginia Flores-Ortiz ◽  
Ma. Del Carmen Alcalá-Álvarez

PurposeThe authors identify the theoretical constructions measuring the intentions to pursue succession as well as the socioemotional wealth theoretical framework, and the authors propose an objective of testing the relationships existing between them so as their importance giving evidence of their relevance.Design/methodology/approachIt is a research with a positivist philosophical position measuring in a quantitative way with a deductive and structured approach applied to 98 CEO owners of Mexican companies, using nonparametric methodologies the authors simulated subsamples with structural equation modeling in SmartPLS 3.3.2, the metrics on the model are described as a functionalist paradigm.FindingsDirectors' attitudes paired up with the intentions of succession are significantly related to the socioemotional aspect of the family business; although the theory proposes three aspects to measure these intentions, the social norm in this research has not been strong enough to be a predictor as an influence on the company's socioemotional wealth.Originality/valueThe authors found this a valuable paper for the complement of theory focused on purely manifesting aspects in family companies, because they identified theoretical and empirical relationships opening up guidelines for new research in socioemotional aspects in accordance with the entrepreneurs attitudes to achieve succession, the differentiation lies in measuring psychological aspects of the director's behavior toward succession and not to the succession per se as done in most research; also, the methodology of data analysis facilitates the reader to easily recognize the relationships between the proposed theoretical constructions, showing the detailed metrics development by researchers in the family business field.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Helmy Shoim Pramudyarto ◽  
Armaidy Armawi ◽  
Bagus Riyono

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to determined the leadership of Wawan Yuanda as a village chief in the community empowerment program through brick-making business and its implications for the the family economic resilience and to knew the obstacles faced in implementing community development programs such. This research was a descriptive model of mixed methods or mixed method using concurrent transformative strategies by collecting data at one stage / phase of the study and at the same time to got a description or picture of the social realities that existed in the community which was then used to analyzed the Village Chief of leadership in the community empowerment program and its implications on family economic resilience.The results showed that Wawan Yuanda as the village chief of Tumiyang Village had been successfully doing community empowerment program through making bricks. The success also had implications for villagers revenue thus increasing the economic resilience of the communities involved in the family business of making bricks.ABSTRAKTujuan dari penelitian ini yaitu untuk mengetahui kepemimpinan Wawan Yuanda sebagai kepala desa dalam program pemberdayaan masyarakat melalui usaha pembuatan batu bata serta implikasinya terhadap ketahanan ekonomi keluarga dan untuk mengetahui hambatan yang dihadapi dalam melaksanakan program pemberdayaan masyarakat tersebut..Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif dengan pendekatan model metode campuran atau mixed method dengan menggunakan Strategi Transformatif Konkuren dengan mengumpulkan data pada satu tahap/fase penelitian dan pada waktu yang sama untuk mendapatkan deskripsi atau gambaran dari realitas sosial yang ada di masyarakat yang kemudian untuk mengungkap tentang kepemimpinan Kepala Desa dalam program pemberdayaan masyarakat dan implikasinya terhadap ketahanan ekonomi keluarga. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Wawan Yuanda selaku Kepala Desa Tumiyang telah berhasil melakukan program pemberdayaan masyarakat melalui usaha batu bata. Keberhasilan tersebut juga berimplikasi terhadap pendapatan masyarakat sehingga meningkatkan ketahanan ekonomi keluarga masyarakat yang terlibat dalam usaha pembuatan batu bata


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katiuska Cabrera Suarez ◽  
Elena Rivo-López ◽  
Santiago Lago-Peñas ◽  
Santiago Lago-Peñas

Nowadays, family businesses, the predominant form of business worldwide, face an increasingly changing environment boosted by megatrends such as globalization, digitalization, artificial intelligence, climate change and sustainability. Along with this, are factors that play at a firm level such as stricter rules concerning transparency and compliance or the increasing importance of Corporate Social Responsibil- ity (CSR). Therefore, new strategies and organizational changes are necessary to allow for greater adaptation to the new context. This special issue provides insights on these questions from a variety of perspectives.                                           The work of Hernández-Linares and López-Fernán- dez expands the current thinking on this process of adaptation by exploring the combined effects of three strategic orientations (entrepreneurial, learning, and market orientations) on the family firm ́s performance. The authors provide interesting contributions in terms of highlighting the importance of strategic orientations for value creation in enterprise organizations. They also provide empirical evidence that the family char- acter of the firm determines the relationship between strategic orientations and business performance, and offer some results on the effect of market orientation on firm performance in family firms versus non-family firms.                                                                                                 Those differences in strategies are further ana- lysed within the setting of the business dimension in which financial and economic decisions are made. The contribution by Terrón-Ibáñez, Gómez-Miranda and Rodríguez-Ariza, discusses the influence of that di- mension in their performance, comparing family and non-family firms. This interesting analysis of financial performance provides useful results. The study showsthat, unlike non-family firms, there is an inverted U- shaped relationship between the size of family SMEs and the value of certain economic–financial indicators, such as the return on assets, operating margin and employee productivity. This means that although the increase in the dimension of the family organizations is positively related to its performance, there are lim- its from which the value of certain economic–financial indicators can be negatively affected.                                                                                                                                                           The next paper contributes to the discussion of the family business’s role in the private health sector. Reyes-Santías, Rivo-López and Villanueva-Villar, set out to identify the historical evolution of the family business in this sector, attempting to determine the variation and its contribution to the private health sector during the 1995-2010 period. The findings of this discussion provide family firms with an almost 60% survival level in this sector. Along with this, the au- thors provide some guidelines for future research con- cerning this higher degree of survival, why family firms are leading the concentration process taking place in the sector, as well as their strategies for super-spe- cialization in the services offered especially by family businesses in healthcare.         The effect of family ownership and the character- istics of the board of directors on the implementation level of Enterprise Risk Management is an important topic. The article by Otero-González, Rodríguez-Gil, Durán-Santomil and Tamayo-Herrera certainly adds to the discussion. In particular, their research shows that family businesses are less interested in implementing ERM, except when shareholders have greater control of the company and when professional investors are present in the company. Besides, the importance of a board of directors’ characteristics of in terms of risk taking is confirmed by observing that larger boards en- courage risk managers to be hired.                                                                                                                                                           The paper by Lorenzo-Gómez looks at the barriers to change that are specific to the characteristics of family business, considering both the barriers that af- fect the perception of the need to undertake changes and the availability of resources to face those chang- es, and the barriers to implementing these changes within already consolidated organizations, where new routines are created to replace the existing ones. Thefindings suggest that the factors affecting these barri- ers include the generation at the head of the family business; the influence of interest groups, particularly in terms of the duality between the company and the family; and the participation level of professionals from outside the family.                                                                                         The final contribution by Aragon-Amonarriz and Iturrioz-Landart offers an interesting discussion on how family-responsible ownership practices enhance social responsibility in small and medium family firms. Their results reveal the positive relationships between the elements of family-responsible ownership in terms of succession management, financial resource allocation, professionalism and social responsibility, and ultimate- ly with the socially responsible behaviour of family SMEs.                                                                                                                 The challenges surrounding family business owners and the nuances around strategic and organizational decision making are together an area ripe for future research. The editors look forward to seeing future de- velopments on these topics that pay special attention to the influence of family characteristics and dynamics on the strategic and organizational change of family firms, and that draw on both quantitative and quali- tative research methodologies for the wider develop- ment of the field. Acknowledgements. The papers published in this issue were presented at the “II Workshop of Family Business: Strategic and Organizational Change” at Ourense, Galicia, Spain, June, 13-14, 2019. The conference was organized by GEN group research (http:// infogen.webs.uvigo.es/) and the Chair of Family Business of the University of Vigo, and was sponsored by the AGEF (Galician Family Business Association), Inditex Group, IEF (Spanish Family Firm Institute), and with ECOBAS group as collaborator. Thanks for their invaluable support. We are also very thankful of all other participants at the conference.   Katiuska Cabrera Suárez,  University of Las Palmas Elena Rivo-López, co-director of the Chair of Family Business, University of Vigo Santiago Lago-Peñas, co-director of the Chair of Family Business, University of Vigo    


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