Data structure for family business values
| Representative quotations | First-order codes | Second-order codes | Aggregate themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| “People who did not have the financial means to have a funeral, they would come to him and plead with him. I’m struggling, I’m not able to pay all this in one time and then he would listen and make it possible for them to pay off the debt.” (P7) |
| Welfare enhancement | Benevolence refers to the preservation and enhancement of the welfare of other people, without expecting a reward in return (Waldkirch and Nordqvist, 2016) |
| Social responsibility | ||
| “When you put them [business awards] there, it’s for staff members to see where we come from, […] also for people, the community [to the FB] to see that we’re recognised nationally for our efforts.” (P3) |
| Business integrity | Business reputation refers to the collective opinion held by stakeholders towards that business (Campbell, 2021) |
| Identity management | ||
| “Those are the key things that I know my parents’ value. It’s never been about me – It’s the bigger community. It’s making an impact not just for themselves but for the rest – what they are doing – how does this then affect those outside – less fortunate than them.” (P13) |
| Community engagement and investment | Community refers to a group of people living in a particular area who are considered a unit because of their shared interests, social group, or ties (Hornby et al., 2010) |
| Economic contribution | ||
| “You know whenever a person comes in, whether he is big or small; treat him equal, because you do not know the value of that person. (P8) |
| Impartial treatment | Fairness refers to the quality of being impartial and treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination (Hornby et al., 2010) |
| “People think we grew up in a lavish way, but our father was not [a permissive parent], you know. Like we did not go on holidays, we lived and shared a room with our sisters and our cousins.” (P6) |
| Caring and self-sacrifice | Familial sacrifice refers to a person’s willingness to forego immediate self-interests to promote the well-being of family members (Van Lange et al., 1997) |
| “It’s lovely that my kids are able to be with their cousins […] Yeah, the closeness because it’s what we want – It’s what we want for them too.” (P5) |
| Family bonding | Familism refers to interdependent family relationships and family bonds that are close, supportive, warm and responsive (Campos et al., 2016) |
| Family relations | ||
| “The business ethics, the culture of just doing the right thing, always being honest and honourable.” (P9) |
| Doing the right thing | Honesty refers to “acting consistently with principles of honesty and keeping promises” (Van Aardt and Bezuidenhout, 2019, p. 204) |
| Adhering to commitments, laws and regulations | ||
| “When you look at the Ubuntu meaning of togetherness it talks to, we stand together as a family. I think you would not run such a business if you don’t have the fundamental set of Ubuntu values.” (P15) |
| Cohesion | Humanness refers to the “interconnectedness of individuals” in a community or society (Brubaker, 2013, p. 96) and explains the collective mind-set of members in a specific community (Muller, 2017) |
| Relationships | ||
| “His humbleness [and] not putting himself above others” (P2) |
| Empathetic | Humility refers to regarding one’s worth as not lower or higher than others (Muller, 2017) |
| Involvement | ||
| “We believe that forming strategic relationships with [others] should be one of the brand strategies in growing our market share and increasing sales.” (Case 6 - business website) |
| Collaborative work | Partnerships refer to “agreements or collaborations between organisations or people to work together” (Hornby et al., 2010) |
| Stakeholder relationships | ||
| “We must run a proper business, above the law, clean, ethical, compliance with SARS, compliance with Department of Labour and all of that.” (P9) |
| Operational standards | Professionalism refers to an individual’s adherence to a set of high standards or code of conduct that characterise generally acceptable practices in the workplace (Naidoo, 2016) |
| Business integrity | ||
| “Our aim is always to do better than we promise […] if you have promised something – you rather under promise and deliver more than over promise and under deliver. I will not promise people things I know that I’m not capable of […] but we do try keep our promises.” (P3) |
| Dependability | Reliability refers to the quality of being able to be trusted because of working or working well (Hornby et al., 2010) |
| Quality and affordability | ||
| “They [the FB] will really communicate, they are like […] respecting a customer, respecting you as staff member and everything; it is almost daily that you understand that you don’t just treat people anyhow.” (P10) |
| Valuing people | Respect refers to “objective and unbiased consideration and regard for the rights, values, beliefs and property of others” (Poovan et al., 2006, p. 18) |
| Promoting harmonious relationships | ||
| “But now you know African culture – your in-laws, if you are married to that kind of person, you have to do it. So, my husband, on Thursday he had an igogogo [traditional ritual] so I had to be there.” (P6) |
| Christian beliefs | Spirituality refers to the recognition of a feeling or sense of belief that there is something greater than the self, that there is more to being human than the sensory experience, and that the greater whole is divine in nature (Spencer, 2012) |
| African traditions |
| Representative quotations | First-order codes | Second-order codes | Aggregate themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| “People who did not have the financial means to have a funeral, they would come to him and plead with him. I’m struggling, I’m not able to pay all this in one time and then he would listen and make it possible for them to pay off the debt.” (P7) | Employee welfare preservation and enhancement Community welfare preservation and enhancement Showing empathy | Welfare enhancement | |
Making a difference in people’s lives Helping underprivileged community members Donating food and services to community members | Social responsibility | ||
| “When you put them [business awards] there, it’s for staff members to see where we come from, […] also for people, the community [to the FB] to see that we’re recognised nationally for our efforts.” (P3) | Perceptions of stakeholders Culture of doing the right thing Treating employees and customers fairly and with respect Customer word of mouth | Business integrity | |
Protecting one’s identity Media and communication Improving the business brand | Identity management | ||
| “Those are the key things that I know my parents’ value. It’s never been about me – It’s the bigger community. It’s making an impact not just for themselves but for the rest – what they are doing – how does this then affect those outside – less fortunate than them.” (P13) | Show concern and invest in communities Giving back to the community Community charitable activities | Community engagement and investment | |
Job creation Local job opportunities | Economic contribution | ||
| “You know whenever a person comes in, whether he is big or small; treat him equal, because you do not know the value of that person. (P8) | Fair treatment Treating people the same No favouritism or discrimination | Impartial treatment | |
| “People think we grew up in a lavish way, but our father was not [a permissive parent], you know. Like we did not go on holidays, we lived and shared a room with our sisters and our cousins.” (P6) | Family hardships (struggles) experienced Family member’s sacrifices Collective over personal interests | Caring and self-sacrifice | |
| “It’s lovely that my kids are able to be with their cousins […] Yeah, the closeness because it’s what we want – It’s what we want for them too.” (P5) | Family spending time together Showing support and love for each other Family member closeness | Family bonding | |
Harmonious relationships Family communications Respecting elders Trusting family members | Family relations | ||
| “The business ethics, the culture of just doing the right thing, always being honest and honourable.” (P9) | Being honest and honourable Doing things properly Running the business in the right way | Doing the right thing | |
Sticking to and honouring commitments Keeping promises Abiding by national laws | Adhering to commitments, laws and regulations | ||
| “When you look at the Ubuntu meaning of togetherness it talks to, we stand together as a family. I think you would not run such a business if you don’t have the fundamental set of Ubuntu values.” (P15) | Spirit of togetherness Family-like business environment Approachable leadership | Cohesion | |
Member interconnectedness Friendliness Interactions Bond sharing | Relationships | ||
| “His humbleness [and] not putting himself above others” (P2) | Learning to be humble Listening to people’s challenges Helping other people | Empathetic | |
Community involvement Getting your hands dirty | Involvement | ||
| “We believe that forming strategic relationships with [others] should be one of the brand strategies in growing our market share and increasing sales.” (Case 6 - business website) | Business collaborations Being trustworthy and honest with others Business opportunities | Collaborative work | |
Long-term partnerships Forging strategic relationships with stakeholders | Stakeholder relationships | ||
| “We must run a proper business, above the law, clean, ethical, compliance with SARS, compliance with Department of Labour and all of that.” (P9) | Cleanliness and orderliness Maintaining high standards | Operational standards | |
Business reputation Service excellence Code of conduct Business legitimacy | Business integrity | ||
| “Our aim is always to do better than we promise […] if you have promised something – you rather under promise and deliver more than over promise and under deliver. I will not promise people things I know that I’m not capable of […] but we do try keep our promises.” (P3) | Relied upon Dependable and convenient Meeting deadlines and delivering on time Providing accurate information and communication | Dependability | |
Offering affordable products and services Delivering products and services that meet or exceed quality standards | Quality and affordability | ||
| “They [the FB] will really communicate, they are like […] respecting a customer, respecting you as staff member and everything; it is almost daily that you understand that you don’t just treat people anyhow.” (P10) | Treating people with dignity Respecting customers and staff members Taking care of customers | Valuing people | |
Shared communication Setting personal and professional boundaries | Promoting harmonious relationships | ||
| “But now you know African culture – your in-laws, if you are married to that kind of person, you have to do it. So, my husband, on Thursday he had an igogogo [traditional ritual] so I had to be there.” (P6) | Prayer as a source of Unity Christian beliefs and values Attending church Reading the bible as a sacred scripture | Christian beliefs | |
African traditional ceremonies and rituals Respecting one ancestry roots African dogmas African languages and traditions African traditions’ acceptance African traditional dress codes and events | African traditions |
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