Leaders' spiritual identity and refugee integration in German family firms: an empirical study

In 26 qualitative interviews with family-owned SME leaders in the region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, I explore how the leaders' spiritual identity builds the employed refugees' sense of belonging. Towards that end, I first draw from the fields of sociology and psychology to construct an interdisciplinary theoretical framework that combines a model of social integration with a psychological approach to spiritual identity. The study's findings suggest that there is a direct link between the leaders' spiritual identity and the employed refugees' sense of belonging. This study informs the literature of family business and provides a better comprehension regarding the impact of religious or spiritual beliefs to prosocial, ethical goals, citizenship and community social responsibility. It also brings into light the impact that refugee trauma may have on their successful integration in the host country. More broadly the study has implications for the design of successful social integration programs for refugees and other minorities.