Human– <scp>AI</scp> Symbiotic Culture and Organizational Performance: The Mediating Role of <scp>AI</scp> Co‐Creation Capability and Moderating Role of Family‐Centric Value Imprinting

ABSTRACT The study explores how the Human‐AI Symbiotic Culture (HASC) affects the organizational performance (OP) in family businesses in the new era of the Family Business 4.0. Against the backdrop of the rapid digital transformation and growing dependence on artificial intelligence, Human‐AI symbiosis, which is the collaborative combination of human intelligence and AI functionality, has become the key driver of innovation, flexibility, and competitive advantage. Based on the Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) theory and Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), this paper places AI not as a technological instrument but as a cultural aspect that is integrated into the family firms, reconstructing the value creation process. The study hypothesizes a conceptual model with the help of information about 628 employees and managers who work in small and medium‐sized family firms in Pakistan. One of the hypotheses is the positive impact of HASC on OP and AI Co‐Creation Capability (AICC). Moreover, the paper explores the mediating impact of AICC and the moderating impact of the Family‐Centric Value Imprinting (FCVI) that indicates the impact of family values, traditions and legacy orientations, which are deeply embedded in the organizational practices. Findings affirm that HASC has a positive influence on OP and AICC, and AICC partially mediates this association. Besides, FCVI enhances the power of AICC on performance outcomes. The results highlight the significance of human‐AI collaboration and the development of a symbiotic organizational culture in order to promote OP in the family businesses setting. The practical implications of the study to the management of family firms are focusing on AI‐enhanced collaborative functions and aligning technological efforts with family values. Future studies can be based on longitudinal designs and apply the model to other institutional and cultural contexts.