In total there were 51 presentations from 12 countries and 4 continents. A group of engaged family business scholars came together to present their research. Each session featured an academic discussant and comments from a family business practitioner on how to improve a particular research paper.
Drawing on the social capital (SC) and socioemotional wealth (SEW) theories, this research concluded there is a symbiotic and reciprocal relationship between the family and the family business and the community in which they operate and that values of the family influence and shape the interaction between the owning family and the community they serve. Seven indigenous Black South African (IBSA) family business cases and reflexive thematic analysis are utilised to investigate the influence of the family and its family business’s values on their social responsibility behaviour in their communities.
The identified value sets found in IBSA family businesses illustrate that they care for their communities and uphold values that are collectivistic and humanistic in nature. In particular, Ubuntu values such as benevolence, respect, humility, humanness, and community, are upheld by these families and shape how they interact with the communities they serve. How the participating family businesses interact with their communities is described in terms of their community’s perceptions and acceptance of them, as well as the value they place on their communities and the socially responsibly activities they undertake. The participating family businesses place importance on the perceptions of the community on their businesses. It is perceived that community members view the participating family businesses as an important part of their community and that the perception amongst the community is that the family businesses put them first. For these businesses, it was having a heart for the local community as well as knowing and having a deeper understanding of the local context, which made the communities they serve associate with, love and appreciate them.
