Organisational culture as a contributor to competitive advantage within the context of family owned businesses

Abstract

Family owned businesses are the oldest form of business in history, with a vast, majority of businesses today being family owned and managed. The popularity of this form of business continues to grow more especially in emerging and developing markets, making the field of family business research important to contemporary business research. Perhaps one of the reasons that explains the overall popularity and success of family businesses is the concept of organisational culture and its link to competitive advantage. Through this research study the researcher aims to explore the relationship between these two elements within the context of family owned businesses. The methodological design of this study was of a qualitative nature, from an interpretivist approach. The target population of this study was owners or managers of their own family owned businesses, with the sample being selected from 3 family businesses. Data was then gathered through semi-structured interviews with participants which was studied using narrative analysis. The findings of this study support the belief that organisational culture is indeed linked to competitive advantage. The information gained from the interviews have highlighted a few of the advantages that each organisation has experienced through its individual culture. Further to this, the participants also expressed that some of these advantages are enhanced by the fact that each business is family owned.