IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-05096004.html

Family firm culture’s influence on socioemotional wealth and financial performance in single-family-owned food processing firms

Author

Listed:
  • Galinoma Lubawa

    (The Open University of Tanzania)

  • Saganga Mussa Kapaya

    (The Open University of Tanzania)

Abstract

While family business studies on socioemotional wealth and family-owned firms' financial performance are growing globally, most have focused on European, Asian and American family firms, where economic and cultural changes have altered traditional family structures. These prior studies have predominantly examined private family-owned firms with diverse ownership structures, with limited attention paid to single-family-owned firms. Therefore, to address the identified research gap, this study analysed 267 Tanzanian single-family-owned food processing firms to assess the influence of family firm culture on socioemotional wealth and firms' financial performance using generalised structural equation modelling. The study's findings indicate that family firm culture significantly influenced the socioemotional wealth dimensions of family continuity, family prominence and family enrichment, positively affecting firms' financial performance. This study recommends that family business owners prioritise family firm culture in their socioemotional wealth and financial performance strategies. The study suggests that future research should develop qualitative instruments for measuring socioemotional wealth dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Galinoma Lubawa & Saganga Mussa Kapaya, 2025. "Family firm culture’s influence on socioemotional wealth and financial performance in single-family-owned food processing firms," Post-Print hal-05096004, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05096004
    DOI: 10.58548/2025abmj31.0116
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05096004v1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-05096004v1/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.58548/2025abmj31.0116?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hoekx, Laura & Lambrechts, Frank & Vandekerkhof, Pieter & Voordeckers, Wim & Frank, Hermann, 2023. "The influence of familiness on decision-making quality in top management teams: The role of emotional dissonance and perceived team support," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    2. Sabela Siaba & Berta Rivera, 2024. "The evolution of the field of family business research over a decade (2012–2022)," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1089-1115, October.
    3. Udo E. Simonis, 2017. "The Age of Sustainable Development," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 44(12), pages 2500-2502, December.
    4. Lee Cronbach, 1951. "Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 16(3), pages 297-334, September.
    5. Kellermanns, Franz W. & Eddleston, Kimberly A., 2007. "A family perspective on when conflict benefits family firm performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1048-1057, October.
    6. 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.
    7. Gómez-Mejía, Luis R. & Herrero, Inés, 2022. "Back to square one: The measurement of Socioemotional Wealth (SEW)," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(4).
    8. Kupangwa, Welcome & Venter, Elmarie & Farrington, Shelley Maeva, 2025. "Institutional carriers of values: Exploring values entrenchment strategies of founders and next-generation leaders in family businesses," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 31(1), pages 32-55, January.
    9. 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).
    10. Leila Afshari & Ali Hadian Nasab & Geoff Dickson, 2020. "Organizational Culture, Social Capital, and Knowledge Management: An Integrated Model," International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), IGI Global Scientific Publishing, vol. 16(2), pages 52-66, April.
    11. Ali Amin & Rizwan Ali & Ramiz ur Rehman & Mudassar Hasan, 2024. "Family ownership, control, and firm performance: Does gender diversity matter?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 14(2), pages 501-525, June.
    12. María J. Martínez-Romero & Rubén Martínez-Alonso & M. Pilar Casado-Belmonte, 2020. "The influence of socio-emotional wealth on firm financial performance: evidence from small and medium privately held family businesses," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 40(1), pages 7-31.
    13. Brundin, Ethel & Samuelsson, Emilia Florin & Melin, Leif, 2014. "Family ownership logic: Framing the core characteristics of family businesses," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(1), pages 6-37, January.
    14. Xie, Jian & Yuan, Song, 2025. "The cultural origins of family firms," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-24.
    15. Gerken, Maike & Hülsbeck, Marcel & Ostermann, Thomas & Hack, Andreas, 2022. "Validating the FIBER scale to measure family firm heterogeneity – A replication study with extensions," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 13(4).
    16. María Belda-Ruiz & Gregorio Sánchez-Marín & J. Samuel Baixauli-Soler, 2022. "Influence of family-centered goals on dividend policy in family firms: A socioemotional wealth approach," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 1503-1526, December.
    17. Alicia Hennig & Edward Romar, 2023. "Learning from Japanese Businesses: Ethics in Operational Excellence," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 329-354, December.
    18. Joseph H. Astrachan & Claudia Binz Astrachan & Giovanna Campopiano & Massimo Baù, 2020. "Values, Spirituality and Religion: Family Business and the Roots of Sustainable Ethical Behavior," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 637-645, May.
    19. Lee, Tingko, 2019. "Management ties and firm performance: Influence of family governance," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 105-118.
    20. Jon C. Carr & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua & Lloyd P. Steier, 2016. "Family Firm Challenges in Intergenerational Wealth Transfer," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(6), pages 1197-1208, November.
    21. Angela Dettori & Michela Floris, 2023. "Improving continuity by simplifying the structure of family firms: a replication study," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 635-660, June.
    22. Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen & Diane Masuo & Linda Manikowske & Yoon Lee, 2020. "The Reciprocal Involvement of Family Business Owners and Communities in Business Success," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-14, May.
    23. Philipp Julian Ruf & Petra M. Moog & Imanol Belausteguigoitia Rius, 2020. "Values as antecedents of socio-emotional wealth behaviour in family firms," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 40(1), pages 83-113.
    24. Simonis, Udo E., 2017. "The Age of Sustainable Development," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 44(12), pages 2500-2502.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Marcin Nowak & Robert Zajkowski & Marta Pawłowska-Nowak, 2025. "Prediction of the Sustainability Index in Family Firms Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-30, August.
    2. Sanchez-Famoso, Valeriano & Cruz, Cristina & Batterjee, Mohamed Mazen & Mejia-Morelos, Jorge-Humberto & Cisneros, Luis & Tuyen LE, Nhu, 2025. "Socioemotional wealth (SEW) across borders: Integrating national context into SEW research," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 16(1).
    3. 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).
    4. Adrian Ade, 2025. "A mapping of two spheres: how SEW stimulates the strategic analysis and forecast of a family firm," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 705-745, February.
    5. Fernando Muñoz-Bullón & Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno & Pilar Velasco, 2024. "Exploring the link between family ownership and leverage: a mediating pathway through socioemotional wealth objectives," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(11), pages 3203-3252, November.
    6. Virginia Blanco-Mazagatos & M. Elena Romero-Merino & Marcos Santamaría-Mariscal & Juan Bautista Delgado-García, 2024. "One more piece of the family firm debt puzzle: the influence of socioemotional wealth dimensions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 831-849, August.
    7. Luis R. Gómez-Mejía & Fernando Muñoz-Bullón & Ignacio Requejo & Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno, 2025. "Ethical Correlates of Family Control: Socioemotional Wealth, Environmental Performance, and Financial Returns," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 198(4), pages 893-917, May.
    8. Cristina Cruz & Hana Milanov & Judit Klein, 2024. "It’s a Family Affair: A Case for Consistency in Family Foundation Giving and Family Firm Community CSR Activity," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 191(3), pages 633-649, May.
    9. 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.
    10. Hauck, Jana & Suess-Reyes, Julia & Beck, Susanne & Prügl, Reinhard & Frank, Hermann, 2016. "Measuring socioemotional wealth in family-owned and -managed firms: A validation and short form of the FIBER Scale," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(3), pages 133-148.
    11. Katrien Jansen & Anneleen Michiels & Wim Voordeckers & Tensie Steijvers, 2023. "Financing decisions in private family firms: a family firm pecking order," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 495-515, August.
    12. Hamza Smajić & Ramo Palalić & Irfan Butt & Nisar Ahmed & Veland Ramadani, 2025. "Socioemotional wealth and family firms performance: a framework and future pathways," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1257-1296, April.
    13. Meng, Shuang & Gomez-Mejia, Luis R. & Yi, Jingtao, 2024. "Political embeddedness, socioemotional wealth, and R&D investment in family firms: Evidence from China as a transition economy," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3).
    14. Deferne, Marie & Bertschi-Michel, Alexandra & de Groote, Julia, 2023. "The role of trust in family business stakeholder relationships: A systematic literature review," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(1).
    15. Kanadlı, Sadi Boĝaç & Torchia, Mariateresa & Gabaldon, Patricia & Calabrò, Andrea, 2020. "Effects of Task Conflict on Board Task Performance in Family Firms: The Importance of Board Openness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(2).
    16. Luis R. Gómez‐Mejía & Maria J. Sanchez‐Bueno & Ivan Miroshnychenko & Robert M. Wiseman & Fernando Muñoz‐Bullón & Alfredo De Massis, 2024. "Family Control, Political Risk and Employment Security: A Cross‐National Study," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(6), pages 2338-2372, September.
    17. Elias Hadjielias & Alfredo Massis & Michael Christofi & Danae Manika & Stephen Brammer, 2025. "Ethical Issues in Family Business: Toward a Deeper Understanding and a New Research Agenda," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 198(4), pages 715-731, May.
    18. D’Allura, Giorgia Maria & Woolum, Andrew H. & Foulk, Trevor A. & Erez, Amir & Pittino, Daniel, 2023. "Event-sampling method with experimental design: A promising method for investigating microfoundational phenomena within family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 14(2).
    19. Guerrero Calle, Maria Bernarda & Bollen, Katalien & Sucozhañay, Dolores & Euwema, Martin, 2024. "The impact of managers' personality on task and relationship conflict: The moderating role of family and non-family business status," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 15(3).
    20. Fernandez, Viviana, 2023. "Family entrepreneurship around the world," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:hal:journl:hal-05096004. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.