1 Introduction
2 Theoretical basis
2.1 Image, reputation and corporate identity
2.2 The importance of image and reputation in family firms
3 Methodology
Characteristics | Inclusion criteria | Specification |
---|---|---|
Publication medium | Scientific, peer-reviewed journals that meet the defined quality threshold | Published full papers and research notes |
Books, book chapters, conference papers and working papers excluded | ||
Language | English | |
Research design | Empirical or conceptual | |
Content | Image or reputation of family firm | The reputation of the founder, successors, managers and the family excluded |
Original contribution to image or reputation of family firms | Reputation or image as variable, not as part of a construct | |
Original findings regarding reputation or image | ||
Advancement of concepts | ||
Terms “reputation” or “image” in text | ||
Business background | Historical, cultural, psychological studies excluded |
-
A ranking of ≥2 in the Academic Journal Guide 2015
-
A ranking of ≥C in the VHB-Jourqual 3 and ABDC Journal Quality List 2013
Results of search | Number of articles |
---|---|
Web of knowledge | 98 |
Wiley | 18 |
EBSCO | 69 |
Sage | 15 |
Elsevier | 21 |
Emerald | 22 |
Total articles
|
243
|
Reasons for exclusion | |
Duplicates | 70 |
Books, conference papers, and journals that do not meet the quality threshold | 23 |
Not written in English | 7 |
No business or family firm background | 45 |
No relation to corporate image or reputation | 29 |
No relation to the reputation or image of the firm (but investors, successors, etc.) | 11 |
No original contribution and no discussion of empirical results | 8 |
Excluded articles
|
193
|
Results of search in databases | 50 |
Results of search in research field | 4 |
Results of search in sources | 19 |
Total articles included in the literature review
|
73
|
4 Results
4.1 Article characteristics
Year | Family business and entrepreneurship | General business and management | Marketing and communication | Finance and accounting | Business ethics | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | 1 | 1 | ||||
1999 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
2003 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
2004 | 1 | 1 | ||||
2005 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
2006 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
2007 | 1 | 1 | ||||
2008 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
2009 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
2010 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | |
2011 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
2012 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | ||
2013 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
2014 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | |
2015 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
Total
|
34
|
13
|
11
|
8
|
7
|
73
|
%
|
47 %
|
18 %
|
15 %
|
11 %
|
9 %
|
100 %
|
4.2 Theoretical frameworks
4.3 Family firm definitions
Cluster | Description | No. of articles | Research design |
---|---|---|---|
1. Family-owned and managed firms | Family ownership ≥50 %, family involvement in management or board | 29 | 11 case studies |
13 interviews or surveys | |||
5 analyses of archival data | |||
2. Large, predominantly stock-listed firms | Family ownership ≥5 % and/or family involvement in board | 20 | 20 analyses of archival data |
3. Perceived family firms | Family firms according to stakeholder perceptions | 10 | 9 interviews or surveys |
1 analysis of archival data |
4.4 Areas of research
4.4.1 Overview of research streams
Research stream | Associations | Influencing factors | Actions | Consequences |
---|---|---|---|---|
1994 | 1 | |||
1999 | 3 | 2 | ||
2003 | 2 | 1 | ||
2004 | 1 | 1 | ||
2005 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
2006 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
2007 | 1 | |||
2008 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
2009 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
2010 | 7 | 5 | 4 | |
2011 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
2012 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
2013 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
2014 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
2015 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 4 |
Total
|
10
|
50
|
39
|
29
|
4.4.2 Associations with family firms
Associations | Sources | |
---|---|---|
Positive
| ||
Trustworthy | 10 | |
Socially responsible | 7 | |
Strong local ties | 4 | |
Customer-oriented | 3 | |
Persistent and stable | 2 | |
Authentic | 2 | |
Competitive | 2 | |
Hard working, committed | 2 | |
Quality-oriented | 1 | Blodgett et al. (2011) |
Employee friendly | 1 | Sageder et al. (2015) |
Negative
| ||
Limited in selection and price | 2 | |
Greedy, immoral, cheating | 1 | Keplinger and Feldbauer-Durstmüller (2012) |
Limited career opportunities | 1 | Covin (1994) |
Stagnant | 1 | Krappe et al. (2011) |
Secretive | 1 | Othman et al. (2011) |
Neutral
| ||
Regionally active | 3 | |
Less formalized | 1 | Covin (1994) |
Small | 1 | Carrigan and Buckley (2008) |
4.4.3 Factors that influence image and reputation
Factor | Sources | |
---|---|---|
Family involvement and control | 35 | Anderson et al. (2003); Basco (2014); Beck and Kenning (2015); Berrone et al. (2010); Binz et al. (2013); Block (2010); Block and Wagner (2014); Blodgett et al. (2011); Botero (2014); Chen et al. (2008, 2010); Cruz et al. (2014); De la Cruz Déniz Déniz and Cabrera Suárez (2005); Deephouse and Jaskiewicz (2013); Dyer and Whetten (2006); Gallucci et al. (2015); Hauswald et al. (2015); Irava and Moores (2010); Isakov and Weisskopf (2015); Kammerlander and Ganter (2015); Kashmiri and Mahajan (2010, 2014); Lee and Marshall (2013); Marques et al. (2014); Memili et al. (2010); Miller et al. (2010); Miller et al. (2008); Orth and Green (2009); Othman et al. (2011); Presas et al. (2014); Sageder et al. (2015); Sue et al. (2013); Tong (2007); Yang (2010); Zang (1999) |
Firm characteristics | 21 | Botero (2014); Chen et al. (2010); Cruz et al. (2014); De la Cruz Déniz Déniz and Cabrera Suárez (2005); Deephouse and Jaskiewicz (2013); Dyer and Whetten (2006); Isakov and Weisskopf (2015); Kammerlander and Ganter (2015); Kashmiri and Mahajan (2010, 2014); Kirkwood and Gray (2009); Krappe et al. (2011); Lee and Marshall (2013); McGuire et al. (2012); Micelotta and Raynard (2011); Miller et al. (2008); Sorenson et al. (2009); Uhlaner et al. (2004); Westhead (2003); Xu’nan (2011); Zang (1999) |
Social ties | 14 | Berrone et al. (2010); Byrom and Lehman (2009); Carrigan and Buckley (2008); Levenburg (2006); Marques et al. (2014); Miller and Le Breton-Miller (2005); Perrini and Minoja (2008); Presas et al. (2014, 2011); Sieger et al. (2011); Sorenson et al. (2009); Uhlaner et al. (2004); Zang (1999); Zellweger et al. (2012) |
Identification with the firm | 12 | |
Ethical values | 11 | |
Long-term orientation | 6 | |
History and tradition | 5 | |
Legal framework | 2 |
4.4.4 Actions to create a firm’s image and enhance its reputation
Factor | Sources | |
---|---|---|
Build strong relationships with stakeholders | 21 | Binz et al. (2013); Carrigan and Buckley (2008); Chen et al. (2008, 2010); De la Cruz Déniz Déniz and Cabrera Suárez (2005); Fernando and Almeida (2012); Isakov and Weisskopf (2015); Kirkwood and Gray (2009); Li (2010); Marques et al. (2014); Miller and Le Breton-Miller (2005); Miller et al. (2008); Perrini and Minoja (2008); Presas et al. (2014); Sieger et al. (2011); Sue et al. (2013); Sorenson et al. (2009); Uhlaner et al. (2004); Xu’nan (2011); Zang (1999); Zellweger et al. (2012) |
Act in a socially responsible way | 19 | Berrone et al. (2010); Block (2010); Block and Wagner (2014); Byrom and Lehman (2009); Cruz et al. (2014); De la Cruz Déniz Déniz and Cabrera Suárez (2005); Du (2015); Dyer and Whetten (2006); Fernando and Almeida (2012); Kashmiri and Mahajan (2010, 2014); Kirkwood and Gray (2009); Marques et al. (2014); McGuire et al. (2012); Othman et al. (2011); Perrini and Minoja (2008); Sue et al. (2013); Tong (2007); Uhlaner et al. (2004) |
Communicate with stakeholders | 15 | Beck and Kenning (2015); Blombäck and Ramírez-Pasillas (2012); Botero (2014); Byrom and Lehman (2009); Carrigan and Buckley (2008); Craig et al. (2008); Gallucci et al. (2015); Hauswald et al. (2015); McGuire et al. (2012); Micelotta and Raynard (2011); Othman et al. (2011); Miller et al. (2008); Presas et al. (2014, 2010); Sageder et al. (2015) |
Act customer- and service-oriented | 10 | |
Build a family firm identity | 8 |
4.4.5 Consequences of a firm’s image and reputation
Factor | Sources | |
---|---|---|
Performance | 12 | |
Access to resources | 9 | |
Customer loyalty | 7 | |
Social capital | 7 | |
New business opportunities | 2 |