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Practicing fairness in the family business workplace

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  • Samara, Georges
  • Arenas, Daniel

Abstract

One of the main challenges facing family firms is achieving fairness between family and non-family employees in the workplace. Family and non-family employees have the potential to offer unique and distinct contributions to the firm, which makes the achievement of fairness between them messy and complicated. Hence, two interesting questions are worth exploring: Given the complex nature of the family business human capital, how can family firms achieve fairness between family and non-family employees? Why should family business decision makers and advisors promote fair practices in the family business workplace? We first introduce a fair process model as a possible solution for family businesses to achieve fairness between family and non-family employees. Then, based on several examples and studies, we show that family business owners can benefit significantly from promoting fairness in the workplace both in terms of preserving business reputation and in terms of achieving long-term family business survival and success.

Suggested Citation

  • Samara, Georges & Arenas, Daniel, 2017. "Practicing fairness in the family business workplace," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 647-655.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:60:y:2017:i:5:p:647-655
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2017.05.008
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Hu, Min & Dou, Junsheng & You, Xialei, 2023. "Is organizational ambidexterity always beneficial to family-managed SMEs? Evidence from China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    3. Kandade, Kiran & Samara, Georges & Parada, Maria José & Dawson, Alexandra, 2021. "From family successors to successful business leaders: A qualitative study of how high-quality relationships develop in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    4. Georges Samara & Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent, 2018. "Independent directors and family firm performance: does one size fit all?," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 149-172, March.
    5. Samara, Georges & Jamali, Dima & Sierra, Vicenta & Parada, Maria Jose, 2018. "Who are the best performers? The environmental social performance of family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 33-43.
    6. Juan Herrera & Carlos de las Heras-Rosas, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management: Towards Sustainable Business Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-24, January.
    7. Jamali, Dima & Jain, Tanusree & Samara, Georges & Zoghbi, Edwina, 2020. "How institutions affect CSR practices in the Middle East and North Africa: A critical review," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(5).
    8. Nonyelum Lina Eze & Mattias Nordqvist & Georges Samara & Maria José Parada, 2021. "Different Strokes for Different Folks: The Roles of Religion and Tradition for Transgenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Businesses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 792-837, July.
    9. Boris Rumanko & Zuzana Lušňáková & Monika Moravanská & Mária Šajbidorová, 2021. "Succession as a Risk Process in the Survival of a Family Business—Case of Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, September.
    10. Christoph Stock & Laura Pütz & Sabrina Schell & Arndt Werner, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility in Family Firms: Status and Future Directions of a Research Field," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 199-259, February.
    11. Samara, Georges, 2021. "Family businesses in the Arab Middle East: What do we know and where should we go?," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    12. Azouz, Ali & Antheaume, Nicolas & Charles-Pauvers, Brigitte, 2021. "An Ethnography of Fairness Perceptions among Non-Family Employees: Does Religion Matter?," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    13. Samara, Georges & Jamali, Dima & Lapeira, Maria, 2019. "Why and how should SHE make her way into the family business boardroom?," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 105-115.

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