Values, Spirituality and Religion: Family Business and the Roots of Sustainable Ethical Behavior

Astrachan, Joseph H.; Astrachan, Claudia Binz; Campopiano, Giovanna; Baù, Massimo

doi:10.1007/s10551-019-04392-5

Cited by 112 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(59 reference statements)

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“…According to recent research, family firms-the majority of existing businesses worldwide (Astrachan et al 2020)-in particular tend to act more ethically than their non-family counterparts (Vazquez 2016). Castejón and López (2016) have shown, for example, that family firms are more aware of ethical situations due to responsible managers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent research, however, has focused more on comparisons of family and non-family firms or on the consequences of ethical behavior, rather than on its antecedents (Chau and Siu 2000;Peng et al 2018;Rubino et al 2017;Vazquez 2016). It reveals only limited insights into the roots of ethical behavior in family businesses (Astrachan et al 2020). Although "ethical behavior must begin at the top" (Stead et al 1990, p. 238), a better understanding of how individual employees adapt to and manage this behavior, especially when facing ethical dilemmas (Lehnert et al 2015), is needed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification

2021

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The ethical behavior prevalent in an organization often determines business success or failure. Much research in the business context has scrutinized ethical behavior, but there are still few insights into its roots; this study furthers this line of inquiry. In line with identity work theory, we examine how employees’ identification with a family business shapes internal ethical decision-making processes. Because it is individuals who engage in decision-making—be it ethical or not—our research perspective centers on the individual level. We followed an inductive, qualitative approach and conducted interviews with 19 employees in seven family businesses. We found that individuals engage in identity work when they identify as individual family firm employees and when they identify with the perceived characteristics of the family firm. These processes of identification, in turn, influence how employees cope with ethical situations. Our findings contribute to ethics and family business research, as well as to identity theory.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification

2021

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“…Accordingly, we illustrate how the founder's ethical behavior, which is informed by Islamic concepts and embodies the values espoused in the family firm, is imprinted onto next-generation leaders through early exposure to the family business and facilitated by mentoring, role modeling, and job shadowing. In so doing, we answer calls for scholarly attention into how the family business's religious beliefs affect how children are raised and how next generation leaders are developed (Astrachan et al, 2020).…”

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confidence: 99%

Culture, convention, and continuity: Islam and family firm ethical behavior

Alrubaishi

McAdam

Harrison

2021

Business Ethics Env & Resp

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Indeed, such entities represent a unique context whereby familial ties (Eddleston, Chrisman, Steier, & Chua, 2010), family goals and values (Kotlar & De Massis, 2013), differing family business governance approaches (Schulze, Lubatkin, Dino, & Buchholtz, 2001), and family dynamics influencing business succession (Helin & Jabri, 2016) intersect. Among contextual influences on family business is the religious beliefs of the founder, the family, and the wider national culture (Kavas, Jarzabkowski, & Nigam, 2020). Religious influences not only shape societies, but also can have a profound impact on organizational decisions, operations, and ethical behavior (Tracey, 2012). As recent reviews have demonstrated (Vazquez, 2018

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“…Religious values help in institutionalising workplace spirituality and integrating ethical and socially responsible behaviour in organisations (Driscoll et al, 2019). Religious values play a significant role in defining work behaviour (Adnan et al, 2019) and organisational culture (Astrachan et al, 2020). Religion plays a positive role in restraining the official's corruption and influencing work ethics (Xu et al, 2017).…”

Section: Religiosity and Ethical Attitude Towards Businessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining Influence of Religiosity on Ethical Attitude Towards Business: Evidence from India and China

Goel

Misra

Dhanalakshmi

2020

AAMJ

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The primary purpose of the paper is to examine how religiosity influences ethical attitude towards business and to compare and contrast this relationship for two populous Asian countries: India and China. The socio-cultural setting of both the countries resonates strongly weaved religious values and traditional ideology, though with a disparate political system. Using Attitude towards Business Ethics Questionnaire (ATBEQ) and 10-item Religious Commitment Inventory (RCI-10), data from 231, i.e., n(India)=122 and n(China)=109, respondents is collected, and research variables are compared based on gender and country of origin. Men demonstrate a higher ethical attitude towards business, higher religiosity, and higher score on ethical business philosophies than their women counterparts. Additionally, Indians score significantly higher than the Chinese on the three constructs. The results of regression analysis demonstrate that religiosity influences ethical attitude towards business for men, women, and Indians only. The relationship is not supported for China. The study further deconstructs religiosity into two subscales: intra (inner interpretive understanding) and inter (outer demonstrative action) religiosity to examine their influence on ethical attitude towards business. Individuals with higher intrareligiosity have a higher ethical attitude while no such relationship is evidenced for interreligiosity. Even further, items of ATBEQ are mapped to represent four ethical business philosophies and their differences compared on the basis of sub-constructs of religiosity. Variations in ethical business philosophies are shown by intra-religiosity only. Essentially, it is not about preaching religion, it is about practicing a religion that really matters. Freedom to practice religion, religion-based teaching, and ethical values embedded into business practices could help shape new virtue ethics as an inspiring point of reference and guidance for business leaders.

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Values, Spirituality and Religion: Family Business and the Roots of Sustainable Ethical Behavior

Abstract: The study does not involve human participants and/or animals. ii. Conflict of InterestNo potential conflicts. No external funding was received.

Cited by 112 publications

References 61 publications

Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification

Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification

Culture, convention, and continuity: Islam and family firm ethical behavior

Examining Influence of Religiosity on Ethical Attitude Towards Business: Evidence from India and China

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