Figure 1
The figure presents a conceptual framework placed within a large rectangle that integrates two main levels: the institutional environment and the organizational environment. At the top, the institutional environment includes contextual factors such as educational systems, national culture, local culture, industry culture, social norms, social values, and religions. These elements represent external conditions that influence how the family firm is configured and evolves.In the upper-left corner, the family environment is presented, consisting of traditions, family norms and culture, and generations in business. The arrows indicate a dynamic relationship between the family environment and the institutional environment. On the one hand, traditions, family norms, and generational experience influence the configuration of the family firm; on the other hand, the institutional environment also affects the family through social values, cultural norms, religion, education, and national, local, and industry culture. Thus, the figure shows that the family firm is not formed in isolation, but rather through the interaction between the family and its institutional context.In the upper central part of the figure, the family firm personality block acts as an articulating element between family, institutional, and organizational factors. This block consists of five dimensions: emotional stability, cautiousness, identification, ownership and control, and non-family empowerment. The arrows from the family environment to this block indicate that traditions, family norms and culture, and the experience of generations in business contribute to shaping the personality of the family firm. Likewise, the downward arrows from the institutional environment show that this environment also influences that personality. The lower part of the figure represents the organizational environment, where family firm personality is linked to different internal components of the organization. On the left is the structure and resources block, which includes financial resources and infrastructure, structure, technology, and the work system. The arrow from family firm personality to this block indicates that it may affect how resources are organized, how structure is designed, how technology is adopted, and how work systems are configured.At the center is strategy, consisting of mission, vision, and products and services. The downward arrow toward strategy indicates that family personality influences strategic decisions, especially how the firm defines its orientation, objectives, products and services, and attitude toward risk. From strategy, the model shows an internal sequence connecting mission, vision, and products or services with the psychological contract, dynamic adjustment, and performance. This suggests that strategy not only defines the firm’s direction, but also affects expectations between the organization and its members, adaptive capacity, and performance.On the right are the people and culture blocks. The arrow from ownership and control to people indicates that the way the family exercises ownership and control influences aspects such as climate and communication, human resource policies and practices, management, and relationships with employees and teams.The arrow toward culture shows that family firm personality also influences organizational culture. This relationship affects governance systems, symbols, rituals and routines, and power relations within the firm.The figure also shows horizontal and convergent relationships toward results. The structure and resources block is connected to results, indicating that financial resources, infrastructure, technology, organizational structure, and work systems contribute to the firm’s final performance. Similarly, the people and culture blocks also point toward results, showing that organizational climate, human resource practices, management, employees, governance systems, symbols, routines, and power influence the outcomes achieved. Strategy also converges in the results block, which is expressed at three levels: the suprasystem, including the family, society, and country; the system, referring to the firm or organization; and the subsystem, composed of teams and functions. The lower arrows suggest that results are not limited to firm performance, but have effects at different levels: they affect the family and the broader social environment, the organization as a system, and its teams and internal functions. Overall, the model represents a chain of relationships in which institutional and family factors shape family firm personality; this personality influences strategy, structure and resources, people, and culture; and these elements, in turn, condition organizational and systemic results.Family firm personality: sustainable theoretical framework (FFP-STF)