“Family Culture”: The Evergreen Cornerstone of Family Business

AbstractWithin the traditional business organizational climate in which an executive coach operates, the identity of ‘the coached’ (coachee) can be quite clearly differentiated from the business identity. This is not the case within the world of family business, where the incumbent family business leader, the successor, the business and the family culture, are interwoven. This unique feature of family business means that, for executive coaching to be effective within the family business environment, a radically different approach to that used in traditional business environments must be adopted – namely, the consideration of what generally are thought of as noneconomic variables. This article represents a first attempt to effectively address the key and unique variables executive coaches need to know to work within the family business environment.

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An Investigation Of Family Culture In Family Firms’ Performance In Retailer-Vendor Strategic Partnerships

10.32920/14648466 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leonardo Amado Godoy

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Family Firms ◽

Strategic Partnerships ◽

Family Culture ◽

The Family ◽

Relationship Value ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact ◽

Group Family

This research proposes a model to measure the effect of family culture on firm performance in family business retailer-vendor strategic partnerships. Prior research that has contributed to the development of the discourse on family culture, organizational culture, family and relationship value, commitment, and trust will be analyzed. Eight hypotheses are presented, four of which are an extension of prior research. The model ratifies a positive relationship between family culture and performance, especially when considering the successor generation. Since the founders of the firm are the personification of the family culture itself, for this group, family culture does not positively influence performance. The outcome of this research will illustrate not only the effects of family culture in family firms’ performance, but also the impact of relationship and behavioral factors in business.

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An Investigation Of Family Culture In Family Firms’ Performance In Retailer-Vendor Strategic Partnerships

10.32920/14648466.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Leonardo Amado Godoy

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Positive Relationship ◽

Family Firms ◽

Strategic Partnerships ◽

Family Culture ◽

The Family ◽

Relationship Value ◽

And Performance ◽

The Impact ◽

Group Family

This research proposes a model to measure the effect of family culture on firm performance in family business retailer-vendor strategic partnerships. Prior research that has contributed to the development of the discourse on family culture, organizational culture, family and relationship value, commitment, and trust will be analyzed. Eight hypotheses are presented, four of which are an extension of prior research. The model ratifies a positive relationship between family culture and performance, especially when considering the successor generation. Since the founders of the firm are the personification of the family culture itself, for this group, family culture does not positively influence performance. The outcome of this research will illustrate not only the effects of family culture in family firms’ performance, but also the impact of relationship and behavioral factors in business.

Download Full-text

The Family Climate Scales—Development of a New Measure for Use in Family Business Research

Family Business Review ◽

10.1111/j.1741-6248.2007.00098.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 229-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 84

Author(s):

Åsa Björnberg ◽

Nigel Nicholson

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Self Report ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Family Climate ◽

Open Communication ◽

Data Set ◽

Family Culture ◽

The Family ◽

Theory Research

The article reports on the development of the Family Climate Scales (FCS) questionnaire. The FCS is a multilevel, self-report, whole-family index of aspects of family culture and process for use in nonclinical settings with families where the children may be adults. It was designed to be particularly but not exclusively applicable in the context of family business. The FCS measures on six scales: Open Communication, Adaptability, Intergenerational Authority, Intergenerational Attention to Needs, Emotional Cohesion, and Cognitive Cohesion. Results indicate very high levels of internal consistency. Subscale intercorrelations are also high, with the exception of the Intergenerational Authority subscale. Analyses using structural equation modeling confirmed the hypothesized six-factor structure of family climate. No significant differences in family climate were found between business/nonbusiness families in the sample. Other relationships in the data set lend support to the validity and usefulness of the measure. Implications for family business theory/research and practitioners are discussed.

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Women, Family Culture, and Family Business

Family Business Review ◽

10.1111/j.1741-6248.1990.00139.x ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 139-151 ◽

Cited By ~ 86

Author(s):

Barbara S. Hollander ◽

Wendi R. Bukowitz

Keyword(s):

Gender Bias ◽

Family Business ◽

Cultural Change ◽

Family Businesses ◽

Family Culture

Family businesses have the potential to be especially productive environments for women. However, as carriers of family culture and processes that may contain gender bias, they can also be the last bastion of resistance to cultural change.

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Family business leadership transition: How an adaptation of executive coaching may help

Journal of Management & Organization ◽

10.5172/jmo.2009.15.3.378 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 378-391 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Charmine EJ Härtel ◽

Gil Bozer ◽

Leon Levin

Keyword(s):

Organizational Climate ◽

Family Business ◽

Executive Coaching ◽

Business Environment ◽

Leadership Transition ◽

Business Leadership ◽

Executive Coaches ◽

Family Culture ◽

Business Environments ◽

The Family

AbstractWithin the traditional business organizational climate in which an executive coach operates, the identity of ‘the coached’ (coachee) can be quite clearly differentiated from the business identity. This is not the case within the world of family business, where the incumbent family business leader, the successor, the business and the family culture, are interwoven. This unique feature of family business means that, for executive coaching to be effective within the family business environment, a radically different approach to that used in traditional business environments must be adopted – namely, the consideration of what generally are thought of as noneconomic variables. This article represents a first attempt to effectively address the key and unique variables executive coaches need to know to work within the family business environment.

Download Full-text

Succession in family business: multi-source perspectives

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development ◽

10.1108/jsbed-10-2016-0163 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 753-774 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Gil Bozer ◽

Leon Levin ◽

Joseph C. Santora

Keyword(s):

Family Business ◽

Phase 1 ◽

Complex Nature ◽

Content Type ◽

Family Culture ◽

Succession Process ◽

And Performance ◽

Business Practitioners ◽

Generational Succession ◽

Succession In Family Business

Purpose Despite the extensive breadth of research into the critical challenge of succession in family business, generational succession in family business has been investigated from predominately one-dimensional perspective. The purpose of this paper is to respond to call for a multi-perspectives examination of leadership succession in order to embrace the dynamic and complex nature of succession in a family business. Accordingly, the authors investigated the key personal and professional factors associated with effective family-business succession across four key stakeholders: incumbent, successor, family, and nonfamily members. Design/methodology/approach The explanatory research design included 16 interviews in Phase 1 and 41 prospective case study interviews in Phase 2, both with Australian family businesses that had or were about to experience generational transition. Findings Incumbents and successor interview findings support the benefits of maintaining a cohesive family business, adaptable family culture, and familiness for effective succession. The authors also identified several personal components (e.g. family-business socialization and external experiences) that can help determine the commitment of successors and how this commitment can change once they assume a leadership position. Business size was the professional component supported by incumbent, successor, and nonfamily members as having a significant impact on succession process. As family business grows and becomes more highly complex, a clearly defined set of procedures become imperative. Practical implications Family-business practitioners can apply the findings to manage the processes and expectations of family and the business to achieve effective generational succession and thereby increase the sustainability of the business. Originality/value This research provides a coherent and comprehensive understanding of the interdependencies of competing priorities in the complex succession process that is essential for family-business sustainability and performance.

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