IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jbuset/v163y2020i4d10.1007_s10551-019-04384-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Islamic Family Business: The Constitutive Role of Religion in Business

Author

Listed:
  • Mustafa Kavas

    (City, University of London)

  • Paula Jarzabkowski

    (City, University of London)

  • Amit Nigam

    (City, University of London)

Abstract

Religion has significantly influenced societies throughout history and across the globe. Family firms—particularly those operating in strongly religious regions—are more likely to be subject to the influence of religion. However, little is known about the mechanisms by which religion affects business activities in family firms. We study how religion impacts business activities through a qualitative study of two Anatolian-based family firms in Turkey. We find that religion provides a dominant meaning system that plays a key role in constituting business activities through three mechanisms: (1) family imports religious practices as business practices; (2) family adheres to religious values as a rationale for business actions; and (3) family religious values define business taboos by avoiding the evil eye. These mechanisms highlight how religion becomes a source of well-understood business practices, how religion defines the nature of rationality that guides business activities, and how religious taboos can delimit the range of potential business activities, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Mustafa Kavas & Paula Jarzabkowski & Amit Nigam, 2020. "Islamic Family Business: The Constitutive Role of Religion in Business," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(4), pages 689-700, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:163:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04384-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-019-04384-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10551-019-04384-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10551-019-04384-5?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz Willi Kellermanns & Ravi Sarathy, 2008. "Resource Configuration in Family Firms: Linking Resources, Strategic Planning and Technological Opportunities to Performance," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(1), pages 26-50, January.
    2. Andrew C. Wicks & R. Edward Freeman, 1998. "Organization Studies and the New Pragmatism: Positivism, Anti-positivism, and the Search for Ethics," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 123-140, April.
    3. Paul Spee & Paula Jarzabkowski, 2017. "Agreeing on What? Creating Joint Accounts of Strategic Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(1), pages 152-176, February.
    4. Michael Lubatkin & William S. Schulze & N Dino Richard, 2003. "Exploring the agency consequences of ownership dispersion among the directors of private family firms," Post-Print hal-02311676, HAL.
    5. Fernando, Mario & Jackson, Brad, 2006. "The influence of religion-based workplace spirituality on business leaders' decision-making: An inter-faith study," Journal of Management & Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 23-39, June.
    6. Freeman, R. Edward, 1994. "The Politics of Stakeholder Theory: Some Future Directions1," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 4(4), pages 409-421, October.
    7. Michael Lubatkin & William S. Schulze & Richard N. Dino, 2003. "Exploring the agency consequences of ownership dispersion among the directors of private family firms," Post-Print hal-02276698, HAL.
    8. Gershman, Boris, 2015. "The economic origins of the evil eye belief," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 119-144.
    9. Tomi Kallio, 2007. "Taboos in Corporate Social Responsibility Discourse," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 74(2), pages 165-175, August.
    10. W. Gibb Dyer Jr. & David A. Whetten, 2006. "Family Firms and Social Responsibility: Preliminary Evidence from the S&P 500," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 30(6), pages 785-802, November.
    11. Shaker A. Zahra & James C. Hayton & Carlo Salvato, 2004. "Entrepreneurship in Family vs. Non–Family Firms: A Resource–Based Analysis of the Effect of Organizational Culture," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 363-381, July.
    12. David G. Sirmon & Michael A. Hitt, 2003. "Managing Resources: Linking Unique Resources, Management, and Wealth Creation in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 27(4), pages 339-358, October.
    13. Laure Cabantous & Jean-Pascal Gond, 2011. "Rational Decision Making as Performative Praxis: Explaining Rationality's Éternel Retour," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 573-586, June.
    14. John Sillince & Paula Jarzabkowski & Duncan Shaw, 2012. "Shaping Strategic Action Through the Rhetorical Construction and Exploitation of Ambiguity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 630-650, June.
    15. Marianne Bertrand & Antoinette Schoar, 2006. "The Role of Family in Family Firms," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(2), pages 73-96, Spring.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mehdi Khodakarami & Hassan Yazdifar & Alireza Faraji Khaledi & Saeed Bagheri Kheirabadi & Amin Sarlak, 2024. "The Level of Islamic Religiosity of the Local Community and Corporate Environmental Responsibility Disclosure: Evidence from Iran," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(2), pages 483-512, March.
    2. Friederike Sophie Reck & Denise Fischer & Malte Brettel, 2022. "Ethical Decision-Making in Family Firms: The Role of Employee Identification," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(2), pages 651-673, October.
    3. Nathaniel Boso & Joseph Amankwah-Amoah & Dominic Essuman & Oluwaseun E. Olabode & Patience Bruce & Magnus Hultman & James Kofi Kutsoati & Ogechi Adeola, 2023. "Configuring political relationships to navigate host-country institutional complexity: Insights from Anglophone sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(6), pages 1055-1089, August.
    4. Valeria Giacomin & Geoffrey Jones, 2022. "Drivers of Philanthropic Foundations in Emerging Markets: Family, Values and Spirituality," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 180(1), pages 263-282, September.
    5. Krueger, Norris & Bogers, Marcel L.A.M. & Labaki, Rania & Basco, Rodrigo, 2021. "Advancing family business science through context theorizing: The case of the Arab world," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    6. Al-Shamali, Ahmed & Irani, Zahir & Haffar, Mohamed & Al-Shamali, Sarah & Al-Shamali, Fahad, 2021. "The influence of Islamic Work Ethic on employees’ responses to change in Kuwaiti Islamic banks," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(5).
    7. Riza Casidy & Denni Arli & Lay Peng Tan, 2024. "The Influence of Religious Identification on Strategic Green Marketing Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(1), pages 215-231, November.
    8. Bąkiewicz Anna & Kasuma Jati & Hermawan Asep, 2022. "Family Business and Religion – Research Agenda," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 14(2), pages 4-40, December.
    9. Nonyelum Lina Eze & Mattias Nordqvist & Georges Samara & Maria José Parada, 2021. "Different Strokes for Different Folks: The Roles of Religion and Tradition for Transgenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Businesses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(4), pages 792-837, July.
    10. Singh, Gurmeet & Sharma, Shavneet & Sharma, Rashmini & Dwivedi, Yogesh K, 2021. "Investigating environmental sustainability in small family-owned businesses: Integration of religiosity, ethical judgment, and theory of planned behavior," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    11. Burton, Nicholas & Vu, Mai Chi & Cruz, Allan Discua, 2022. "Our social legacy will go on: Understanding outcomes of family SME succession through engaged Buddhism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 105-118.
    12. 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.

    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. Ahlers, Oliver & Hack, Andreas & Kellermanns, Franz W., 2014. "“Stepping into the buyers’ shoes”: Looking at the value of family firms through the eyes of private equity investors," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 384-396.
    2. Astrachan, Joseph H., 2010. "Strategy in family business: Toward a multidimensional research agenda," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 6-14, March.
    3. Vanessa Weimann & Maike Gerken & Marcel Hülsbeck, 2021. "Old flames never die – the role of binding social ties for corporate entrepreneurship in family firms," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1707-1730, December.
    4. Francesco Chirico & Dianne H. B. Welsh & R. Duane Ireland & Philipp Sieger, 2021. "Family versus Non‐Family Firm Franchisors: Behavioural and Performance Differences," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 165-200, January.
    5. Ulrich Lichtenthaler & Miriam Muethel, 2012. "Retracted: The Impact of Family Involvement on Dynamic Innovation Capabilities: Evidence from German Manufacturing Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1235-1253, November.
    6. Memili, Esra & Eddleston, Kimberly A. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Zellweger, Thomas M. & Barnett, Tim, 2010. "The critical path to family firm success through entrepreneurial risk taking and image," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 1(4), pages 200-209, December.
    7. Zellweger, Thomas M. & Kellermanns, Franz W. & Eddleston, Kimberly A. & Memili, Esra, 2012. "Building a family firm image: How family firms capitalize on their family ties," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 239-250.
    8. Alain Verbeke & Liena Kano, 2012. "The Transaction Cost Economics Theory of the Family Firm: Family–Based Human Asset Specificity and the Bifurcation Bias," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1183-1205, November.
    9. Alfredo De Massis & Josip Kotlar & Pietro Mazzola & Tommaso Minola & Salvatore Sciascia, 2018. "Conflicting Selves: Family Owners' Multiple Goals and Self-Control Agency Problems in Private Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(3), pages 362-389, May.
    10. Marta Widz & Nadine Kammerlander, 2023. "Entrepreneurial exit intentions in emerging economies: a neoinstitutional perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 615-638, February.
    11. Heino, Noora & Tuominen, Pasi & Jussila, Iiro, 2020. "Listed Family Firm Stakeholder Orientations: The Critical Role of Value-creating Family Factors," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(4).
    12. Carlos Fernández-Méndez & Rubén Arrondo-García, 2021. "Sustainability Practices in Australian Firms: The Effect of Family Control and the Generational Stage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    13. McGuire, Jean & Dow, Sandra & Ibrahim, Bakr, 2012. "All in the family? Social performance and corporate governance in the family firm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(11), pages 1643-1650.
    14. Limin Geng & Xueyuan Lu & Can Zhang, 2023. "The Theoretical Lineage and Evolutionary Logic of Research on the Environmental Behavior of Family Firms: A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(6), pages 1-23, March.
    15. Andrea Calabrò & Mariateresa Torchia & Daniela Gimenez Jimenez & Sascha Kraus, 0. "The role of human capital on family firm innovativeness: the strategic leadership role of family board members," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-27.
    16. Pascual Berrone & Patricio Duran & Luis Gómez-Mejía & Pursey P M A R Heugens & Tatiana Kostova & Marc Essen, 2022. "Impact of informal institutions on the prevalence, strategy, and performance of family firms: A meta-analysis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 53(6), pages 1153-1177, August.
    17. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz W. Kellermanns & Steven W. Floyd & Victoria L. Crittenden & William F. Crittenden, 2013. "Planning for Growth: Life Stage Differences in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(5), pages 1177-1202, September.
    18. Basco, Rodrigo, 2013. "The family's effect on family firm performance: A model testing the demographic and essence approaches," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 42-66.
    19. Breuer, Wolfgang & Knetsch, Andreas, 2022. "Informal authority and economic outcomes of family firms: An issue of national power distance," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    20. Unai Arzubiaga & Amaia Maseda & Txomin Iturralde, 2019. "Entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: New drivers and the moderating role of the strategic involvement of the board," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 44(1), pages 128-152, February.

    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:kap:jbuset:v:163:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10551-019-04384-5. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.