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Family Business in the #MeToo Era: Lessons from Ruth on Tone at the Top

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  • Dov Fischer

    (Brooklyn College)

  • Hershey Friedman

    (Brooklyn College)

Abstract

In the biblical Book of Ruth, Boaz instructs his workers not to molest Ruth. We draw insights on the problem of workplace sexual harassment in the family-firm setting from the Book of Ruth. We then integrate these insights with several discrete findings in the literatures on workplace sexual harassment and family firms: First, family firms are relatively strong when it comes to a culture of fairness and respect. Second, family firms sometimes lack formal codes of ethics, which could hamper integrity. Third, religious exemplars can reinforce the positive culture of family firms and even substitute for a formal code of ethics. Fourth, religious exemplars can also attenuate excessive risk-taking behavior in family firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Dov Fischer & Hershey Friedman, 2021. "Family Business in the #MeToo Era: Lessons from Ruth on Tone at the Top," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 37-55, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:humman:v:6:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s41463-020-00079-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s41463-020-00079-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruno Dyck & Savanna Vagianos, 2023. "An Exploratory Study of Stewardship and Universal Family Firms: the Importance of Universal Care and Benefaction," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 29-48, April.
    2. Michael Pirson & Cinzia Dessi & Michela Floris & Ernestina Giudici, 2021. "Humanistic Management: What Has Love Got to Do with it?," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-4, April.

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