Ethical Issues in Family Business: Toward a Deeper Understanding and a New Research Agenda
Abstract Family business ethics are uniquely shaped by family influence and a strong emphasis on preserving socioemotional wealth. Although research in this area has grown rapidly in recent years, it remains fragmented and underdeveloped. Advancing the field requires a more integrated approach that consolidates existing concepts and dimensions. This paper synthesizes current knowledge and proposes an integrative framework for studying ethical issues in family firms that encompasses ethical determinants, processes, and outcomes. We also examine how existing research contributes to the family business ethics literature and outline directions for future study.
Authors
- Michael Christofi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7457-2701)
- Danae Manika (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6331-1979)
- Alfredo De Massis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5552-6497)
- Stephen Brammer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1424-0008)
- Εlias Hadjielias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3962-6188)
Institutions
- University of London (GB)
- Cyprus University of Technology (CY)
- Vilnius University (LT)
- Business School Lausanne (CH)
- University of Chieti-Pescara (IT)
- University of Bath (GB)
- Brunel University of London (GB)
- Lancaster University (GB)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Padjadjaran University (ID)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Business Ethics
- Published
- 2025-04-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-025-05989-9
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Family Business Performance and Succession
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.53
Funders
- Cyprus University of Technology
- European Commission