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How Does Family Culture Generate Competitive Advantage for Family Firms? A Case Study from the Affordance Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2025

Jing Xi ,
Jiani Cai ,
Xiaojie Wu  and
Yongbin Cheng
Jing Xi
Affiliation:
Guangdong University of Technology, China
Jiani Cai
Affiliation:
Guangdong University of Technology, China
Xiaojie Wu*
Affiliation:
Guangdong University of Technology, China
Yongbin Cheng
Affiliation:
Baiyun Power Group Co., Ltd., China
*
Corresponding author: Xiaojie Wu (xiaojie_wu@163.com)
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Abstract

Most existing literature treats family culture as a static and deterministic factor with a double-edged effect on the competitive advantage (CA) of family firms while overlooking its dynamic nature. Moreover, limited literature addresses how to solve this double-edged problem. This study fills these gaps by examining how family culture can generate sustainable CA from the lens of the affordance perspective. A three-stage process model is developed based on a longitudinal case study of Baiyun, a Chinese family firm with over a 100-year family history. This model suggests that family firms should intentionally adopt appropriate sensemaking and sensegiving strategies tailored to different stakeholders and dynamic entrepreneurship situations to effectively leverage the natural and designed affordances of family culture. By cultivating efficiency, emotional, and value identifications among internal and external stakeholders, these sensegiving strategies facilitate family collaboration, continuous trust, strategic focus, and extensive ecological synergy, which serve as the key sources of CA. Ultimately, the model emphasizes that the key to managing the double-edged effect lies in the four sensemaking strategies taken by family firm leaders. This study sheds light on the dynamic interplay between family culture, environment, strategies, and CA, offering actionable insights for family firms.

摘要

摘要

现有文献大多将家族文化视为一种静态的、确定的因素，并认为其对家族企业竞争优势具有双刃剑效应。但它们却忽视了家族文化的动态性，亦鲜有探讨克服其双刃剑问题的策略。本研究基于可供性视角来探讨家族文化如何影响家族企业的可持续竞争优势。通过对白云电气集团——一家拥有百年家族历史的中国家族企业的纵向案例研究，本研究构建了一个三阶段过程模型。该模型显示，家族企业应有意识地采用匹配不同利益相关者和动态创业情境的意义建构（sensemaking）和意义赋予（sensegiving）策略，以有效利用家族文化的自然可供性与设计可供性。通过激发内部与外部利益相关者对家族企业的效率认同、情感认同和价值认同，这些意义赋予策略促进了家族内部的协作和持续信任、企业的战略聚焦和广泛的生态协同效应，为竞争优势提供了关键来源。研究强调，应对家族文化双刃剑效应的关键在于家族企业领导者采取的四种意义建构策略。本研究不仅揭示了家族文化、创业环境、意义赋予策略与竞争优势之间的跨层次动态交互关系，亦为家族企业的战略管理实践提供了可操作的洞见。

Keywords

affordancescase studycompetitive advantagefamily culturesensegiving家族文化意义赋予竞争优势可供性案例研究
Type
Article
Information
Management and Organization Review , First View , pp. 1 - 26
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Association for Chinese Management Research

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