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Family firms as incubators for ethical behavior: An exploratory study from the perspective of stewardship theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2014

Manuel Carlos Vallejo-Martos  and
Raquel Puentes-Poyatos
Manuel Carlos Vallejo-Martos*
Affiliation:
University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, Jaén, Spain
Raquel Puentes-Poyatos
Affiliation:
University of Jaén, Campus Las Lagunillas s/n, Jaén, Spain
*
Corresponding author: mvallejo@ujaen.es
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Abstract

This work aims to determine whether family firms have differential characteristics that make them better incubators for ethical behavior from the perspective of stewardship theory. Results show that the psychological and situational factors that stewardship theory points to as determinants in the construction of principal–steward relationships are more evident in family firms than in non-family firms. These factors result in the behavior of owners and non-family employees becoming more ethical – with all the benefits this implies for these firms.

Keywords

ethical behaviorstewardshipfamily firmnon-family employees
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 20 , Issue 6 , November 2014 , pp. 784 - 807
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2014 

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