IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/fambus/v12y2021i3s1877858520300863.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Family businesses in the Arab Middle East: What do we know and where should we go?

Author

Listed:
  • Samara, Georges

Abstract

This article takes stock of family business research in the Arab Middle East by systematically reviewing 70 articles published between 2000 and 2018. Results show that prevalent cultural traits of patriarchy and collectivism have led to a high commitment to the family business workforce, to the ceremonial appointment of women in leadership positions, to prioritizing family harmony over any other goal, to the pursuit of male dynastic succession that sustains the vision of the founder, and to informal human resources practices. Furthermore, the presence of institutional voids has facilitated the adoption of informal governance structures and has led controlling owners to adopt conservative financial strategies. These practices translate into various firm economic and societal outcomes, depending on the business legal structure, the generational ownership stage, and the family relationship dynamics. Despite these insights, much of prior research on family businesses in the Arab Middle East remains exploratory and unfocused, which emphasizes an evident need for contextualized, theoretically rich, and methodologically rigorous studies. In conclusion, the article proposes an agenda to advance future research on family businesses in the Arab Middle East.

Suggested Citation

  • 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).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:12:y:2021:i:3:s1877858520300863
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100359
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877858520300863
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jfbs.2020.100359?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Safa Gaaya & Nadia Lakhal & Faten Lakhal, 2017. "Does family ownership reduce corporate tax avoidance? The moderating effect of audit quality," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(7), pages 731-744, August.
    2. 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.
    3. Imen Khanchel El Mehdi, 2007. "Empirical Evidence on Corporate Governance and Corporate Performance in Tunisia," Corporate Governance: An International Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(6), pages 1429-1441, November.
    4. Nehme Azoury & Elie Bouri, 2015. "Principal–principal conflicts in Lebanese unlisted family firms," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 19(2), pages 461-493, May.
    5. Faten Lakhal & Safa Gaaya & Nadia Lakhal, 2017. "Does family ownership reduce corporate tax avoidance? The moderating effect of audit quality," Post-Print hal-01686420, HAL.
    6. Ghabri Yosra & Olfa Ben Ouda Sioud, 2011. "Ultimate ownership structure and stock liquidity: empirical evidence from Tunisia," Studies in Economics and Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 28(4), pages 282-300, October.
    7. Safa Gaaya & Nadia Lakhal & Faten Lakhal, 2017. "Does family ownership reduce corporate tax avoidance? The moderating effect of audit quality," Post-Print hal-03562617, HAL.
    8. Eulaiwi, Baban & Al-Hadi, Ahmed & Taylor, Grantley & Al-Yahyaee, Khamis Hamed & Evans, John, 2016. "Multiple directorships, family ownership and the board nomination committee: International evidence from the GCC," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 61-88.
    9. Bodolica, Virginia & Spraggon, Martin & Zaidi, Sahar, 2015. "Boundary management strategies for governing family firms: A UAE-based case study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 684-693.
    10. Josiane Fahed-Sreih & David Pistrui & Wilfred V. Huang & Harold P. Welsch, 2010. "Family and cultural factors impacting entrepreneurship in war time Lebanon," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(1), pages 35-51.
    11. Torsten M. Pieper & Ralph I. Williams Jr. & Scott C. Manley & Lucy M. Matthews, 2020. "What Time May Tell: An Exploratory Study of the Relationship Between Religiosity, Temporal Orientation, and Goals in Family Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 759-773, May.
    12. Debicki, Bart J. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Chrisman, James J. & Pearson, Allison W. & Spencer, Barbara A., 2016. "Development of a socioemotional wealth importance (SEWi) scale for family firm research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 47-57.
    13. Vazquez, Pedro & Rocha, Héctor, 2018. "On the goals of family firms: A review and integration," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 94-106.
    14. 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.
    15. Charbel Salloum & Nehme Azoury, 2012. "Corporate Governance and Firms in Financial Distress: Evidence from a Middle Eastern Country," Post-Print hal-01380791, HAL.
    16. Chua, Jess H. & Chrisman, James J. & De Massis, Alfredo & Wang, Hao, 2018. "Reflections on family firm goals and the assessment of performance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 107-113.
    17. Basco, Rodrigo, 2015. "Family business and regional development—A theoretical model of regional familiness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 259-271.
    18. Manel Gharbi & Anis Jarboui, 2017. "Institutional investors’ role in diversifying orientation decision across Tunisian companies," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1244873-124, January.
    19. Franz W. Kellermanns & Kimberly A. Eddleston, 2004. "Feuding Families: When Conflict Does a Family Firm Good," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(3), pages 209-228, May.
    20. Achraf Guidara & Imen Achek & Saida Dammak, 2016. "Internal Control Weaknesses, Family Ownership and the Cost of Debt: Evidence from the Tunisian Stock Exchange," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(2), pages 148-166, May.
    21. Hafiza Aishah Hashim & Muneer Amrah, 2016. "Corporate governance mechanisms and cost of debt: Evidence of family and non-family firms in Oman," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 31(3), pages 314-336, March.
    22. Ramzi Fathallah & Yusuf Sidani & Sandra Khalil, 2020. "How Religion Shapes Family Business Ethical Behaviors: An Institutional Logics Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 647-659, May.
    23. Sidani, Yusuf M. & Thornberry, Jon, 2013. "Nepotism in the Arab World: An Institutional Theory Perspective," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 23(1), pages 69-96, January.
    24. Mohammed Oudah & Fauzia Jabeen & Christopher Dixon, 2018. "Determinants Linked to Family Business Sustainability in the UAE: An AHP Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-23, January.
    25. 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).
    26. Josiane Fahed-Sreih & Abdul-Nasser El-Kassar, 2017. "Strategic Planning, Performance And Innovative Capabilities Of Non-Family Members In Family Businesses," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(07), pages 1-24, October.
    27. Samara, Georges & Arenas, Daniel, 2017. "Practicing fairness in the family business workplace," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 647-655.
    28. Khanin, Dmitry, 2013. "How to reduce turnover intentions in the family business: Managing centripetal and centrifugal forces," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 63-73.
    29. Charbel Salloum & Nehme Azoury, 2012. "Corporate governance and firms in financial distress: evidence from a Middle Eastern country," International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17.
    30. Charbel Salloum & Elie Bouri & Christophe Schmitt, 2013. "Board of directors and financial performance in the Middle East," International Journal of Business Performance Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(3), pages 274-292.
    31. Sarstedt, Marko & Ringle, Christian M. & Smith, Donna & Reams, Russell & Hair, Joseph F., 2014. "Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): A useful tool for family business researchers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 105-115.
    32. Matthew C. Sonfield & Robert N. Lussier & Josiane Fahed-Sreih, 2015. "Planning for succession in family businesses: a comparison of Arab/Islamic and US practices," International Journal of Business and Globalisation, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 15(3), pages 313-330.
    33. Khadija Mnasri & Dorra Ellouze, 2015. "Ownership structure, product market competition and productivity," Post-Print hal-02999649, HAL.
    34. Welsh, Dianne H.B. & Memili, Esra & Kaciak, Eugene & Al Sadoon, Aliyah, 2014. "Saudi women entrepreneurs: A growing economic segment," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(5), pages 758-762.
    35. Mike Wright & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2014. "Family Enterprise and Context," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1247-1260, November.
    36. Cristina Cruz & Martin Larraza–Kintana & Lucía Garcés–Galdeano & Pascual Berrone, 2014. "Are Family Firms Really More Socially Responsible?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 38(6), pages 1295-1316, November.
    37. Jenifer Piesse & Roger Strange & Fahad Toonsi, 2012. "Is there a distinctive MENA model of corporate governance?," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 16(4), pages 645-681, November.
    38. Charbel Salloum & Nehme Azoury & César El Khoury, 2013. "Board of directors’ effects on financial distress evidence of family owned businesses in Lebanon," Post-Print hal-01376599, HAL.
    39. Jamal El Baz & Issam Laguir & Magalie Marais & Raffaele Staglianò, 2016. "Influence of National Institutions on the Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Food-processing Industry: Differences Between France and Morocco," Post-Print hal-02011847, HAL.
    40. Jamal Baz & Issam Laguir & Magalie Marais & Raffaele Staglianò, 2016. "Influence of National Institutions on the Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Food-processing Industry: Differences Between France and Morocco," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 134(1), pages 117-133, March.
    41. Wafa Khlif & Lotfi Karoui & Coral Ingley & Wiem El Manaa, 2016. "Family contingencies and board composition: evidence from Tunisia," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 16-32, January.
    42. Torsten M. Pieper & Anne D. Smith & Jerry Kudlats & Joseph H. Astrachan, 2015. "The Persistence of Multifamily Firms: Founder Imprinting, Simple Rules, and Monitoring Processes," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(6), pages 1313-1337, November.
    43. Charbel Salloum & Elie Bouri & Laura Salloum & Catherine Mercier-Suissa, 2016. "Outside directors and firm performance across family generations in Lebanon," International Journal of Business Performance Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 17(2), pages 147-160.
    44. Hearn, Bruce, 2011. "The performance and the effects of family control in North African IPOs," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 140-151, June.
    45. Pramodita Sharma & P. Gregory Irving, 2005. "Four Bases of Family Business Successor Commitment: Antecedents and Consequences," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(1), pages 13-33, January.
    46. De Massis, Alfredo & Kotlar, Josip, 2014. "The case study method in family business research: Guidelines for qualitative scholarship," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 15-29.
    47. Nabil Baydoun & William Maguire & Neal Ryan & Roger Willett, 2012. "Corporate governance in five Arabian Gulf countries," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 28(1), pages 7-22, November.
    48. James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2011. "Resilience of Family Firms: An Introduction," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(6), pages 1107-1119, November.
    49. Mejbel Al-Saidi & Bader Al-Shammari, 2013. "Board composition and bank performance in Kuwait: an empirical study," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 28(6), pages 472-494, June.
    50. Sami Basly, 2017. "Family Businesses in the Arab World - Governance, Strategy, and Financing," Post-Print hal-01746128, HAL.
    51. Ayman Haddad & Wasim AlShattarat & Naser AbuGhazaleh & Haitham Nobanee, 2015. "The impact of ownership structure and family board domination on voluntary disclosure for Jordanian listed companies," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(2), pages 203-234, December.
    52. Robert J. David & Shin‐Kap Han, 2004. "A systematic assessment of the empirical support for transaction cost economics," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 39-58, January.
    53. 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.
    54. Jamal Elbaz & Issam Laguir, 2014. "Family Businesses And Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Orientation: A Study Of Moroccan Family Firms," Post-Print hal-02042452, HAL.
    55. Wagner, Dominik & Block, Joern H. & Miller, Danny & Schwens, Christian & Xi, Guoqian, 2015. "A meta-analysis of the financial performance of family firms: Another attempt," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 3-13.
    56. Jamal El Baz & Issam Laguir & Magalie Marais & Raffaele Staglianò, 2016. "Influence of National Institutions on the Corporate Social Responsibility Practices of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Food-processing Industry: Differences Between France and Morocco," Post-Print hal-03542437, HAL.
    57. Garry D. Bruton & Shaker A. Zahra & Li Cai, 2018. "Examining Entrepreneurship Through Indigenous Lenses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(3), pages 351-361, May.
    58. Jasim Al-Ajmi & Hameeda Abo Hussain & Nadhem Al-Saleh, 2009. "Decisions on capital structure in aZakat environment with prohibition ofriba: The case of Saudi Arabia," Journal of Risk Finance, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 10(5), pages 460-476, November.
    59. Reza H. Chowdhury & Min Maung, 2013. "Corporate entrepreneurship and debt financing: evidence from the GCC countries," International Journal of Managerial Finance, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 9(4), pages 294-313, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Udin Udin & Radyan Dananjoyo & Mohsin Shaikh & Densy Vio Linarta, 2022. "Islamic Work Ethics, Affective Commitment, and Employee’s Performance in Family Business: Testing Their Relationships," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    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. Shaikha Khalfan, 2024. "Wasta in business management: a critical review of recent developments and future trends in the tourism sector," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. K. Praveen Parboteeah & Matthias Weiss & Martin Hoegl, 2024. "Ethical Climates Across National Contexts: A Meta-Analytical Investigation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 189(3), pages 573-590, January.
    5. Shaker Dahan AL-Duais & Ameen Qasem & Wan Nordin Wan-Hussin & Hasan Mohamad Bamahros & Murad Thomran & Abdulsalam Alquhaif, 2021. "CEO Characteristics, Family Ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting: The Case of Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Khan, Huda & Zahoor, Nadia & Gerged, Ali Meftah & Tarba, Shlomo & Makrides, Anna, 2022. "The efficacy of market sensing and family-controlled board in the new product development performance of family firms in emerging market," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 673-684.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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).
    2. Heino, Noora & Tuominen, Pasi & Jussila, Iiro, 2020. "Listed Family Firm Stakeholder Orientations: The Critical Role of Value-creating Family Factors," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).
    3. Ayman Issa & Mohammad A. A. Zaid & Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha, 2022. "Exploring the relationship between female director's profile and sustainability performance: Evidence from the Middle East," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1980-2002, September.
    4. Melanie Richards, 2023. "When do Non-financial Goals Benefit Stakeholders? Theorizing on Care and Power in Family Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 184(2), pages 333-351, May.
    5. Lee, Tingko, 2019. "Management ties and firm performance: Influence of family governance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 105-118.
    6. Eva López‐González & Jennifer Martínez‐Ferrero & Emma García‐Meca, 2019. "Does corporate social responsibility affect tax avoidance: Evidence from family firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 819-831, July.
    7. 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).
    8. Alvaro Rojas & Daniel Lorenzo, 2021. "Environmental and Social Goals in Spanish SMEs: The Moderating Effect of Family Influence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-17, February.
    9. D’Allura, Giorgia Maria, 2019. "The leading role of the top management team in understanding family firms: Past research and future directions," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 87-104.
    10. Leon Guillén & Afcha Sergio & Chu Manuel, 2022. "Research on social responsibility of small and medium enterprises: a bibliometric analysis," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(3), pages 857-909, September.
    11. 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.
    12. Moreno-Menéndez, Ana M. & Casillas, José C., 2021. "How do family businesses grow? Differences in growth patterns between family and non-family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).
    13. Dou, Junsheng & Wang, Ning & Su, Emma & Fang, Hanqing & Memili, Esra, 2020. "Goal complexity in family firm diversification: Evidence from China," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(1).
    14. Ralph I. Williams & Torsten M. Pieper & Franz W. Kellermanns & Joseph H. Astrachan, 2019. "Family business goal formation: a literature review and discussion of alternative algorithms," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 69(3), pages 329-349, September.
    15. Davila, Jessenia & Duran, Patricio & Gómez-Mejía, Luis & Sanchez-Bueno, Maria J., 2023. "Socioemotional wealth and family firm performance: A meta-analytic integration," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    16. Unai Arzubiaga & Manel Plana-Farran & Agnès Ros-Morente & Albert Joana & Sílvia Solé, 2021. "Mindfulness and Next-Generation Members of Family Firms: A Source for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-13, May.
    17. Victoria Antin Yates & James M. Vardaman & James J. Chrisman, 2023. "Social network research in the family business literature: a review and integration," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(4), pages 1323-1345, April.
    18. Laura Broccardo & Elisa Truant & Lèo‐Paul Dana, 2023. "The sustainability orientation in the wine industry: An analysis based on age as a driver," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(3), pages 1300-1313, May.
    19. 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.
    20. Ivan Miroshnychenko & Alfredo De Massis & Danny Miller & Roberto Barontini, 2021. "Family Business Growth Around the World," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 682-708, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:fambus:v:12:y:2021:i:3:s1877858520300863. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/719791/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.