THE NATURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE WITHIN PAKISTNAI FAMILY

BUSINESSES

Aamar Ilyas

aamar.ilyas@ucp.edu.pk / aamarilyas@gmail.com

University of Central Punjab, Lahore.

Since the turn of century, organizational culture has become significant issue for researcher as
well as manager to measure effective strategic and management practices (Henry, 2006; Lee &
Chen, 2005; Fey & Denison, 2003; Ogbonna & Harris, 2006). Indeed, organizational culture
apparently effects on operational performance of employees (Cox, Lobel, & Mcleod, 1991),
firms performance (Denison, 1984; Ri0chard, Barnett, & Dwyer, 2004) and competitive
advantage (Bluedorn & Lundgren, 1993). Historic studies have focused the organizational
culture with respect to organizational size ranging from medium to large companies (e.g.,
Astrachan, 1998; Chirico & Nordqvist, 2010). However, cultural aspect of family business
remained ignorant (Fletcher, Melin, & Gimeno, 2012; Cruz, Hamilton, & Jack, 2012; Vallejo,
2011) except some studies (e.g., Ainsworth & Wolfram, 2003; Aronoff, 2004; Gallo, 1993,
1995). There is no significant amount of empirical studies which explores the determinants or
factors of organizational culture within family businesses. Furthermore, some studies suggest
that culture is one significant variable of family business success (Viedma, 1990; Simon, 1997),
but no one study measure the relationship between organizational culture and family business
performance and organizational culture with coordination of employees. Thus there is dire need
to explore more empirical work focusing on organizational culture within family business.

Although, the increased interest to study family firms in advance nations, but developing nations
especially in African and Asian regions remained ignored (Bruton, Ahlstrom, & Obloj, 2008).
Most of the recent studies in one of developing economy have only observed organizational
culture on large multinationals (e.g., Tipu & Ryan, 2012; Ahmad, 2012; Khan & Afzal, 2011;
Awan & Mahmood, 2010; Francesco, 2008). Therefore, this study will fill the gap by exploring
the nature of organizational culture within family owned businesses of developing economy
(Pakistan). For that, fresh empirical evidence will be collected from south Asian country
Pakistan.
I inspired by the call from Fletcher, Melin and Gimeno, (2012) and Zheng, Yang and
McLean, (2010) to study culture in family business. Following research questions are framed to
be answered on the completion of this study under the light of call by Fletcher et al. and Zheng et
al.

What are the determinants (factors/attributes) of organizational culture in family

business?
How values are generated across generations in various types of family business?

The main objective of my study is to map the characteristics or attributes of the organizational
culture of family firms and explore its determinants and finally to study the attitudes of
employees in family business. Further, my study aim is to investigate the culture in family
business from various points of view and analyze it.

After the completion of Ph.D course work at University of Central Punjab (Pakistan), I proposed
qualitative approach for this study because Creswell (2007) explain that qualitative study is most suitable
when problem or an issue needs to explored. This study exploratory and its objective are to explore the
determinants and how valves are created in family business. Kerlinger and Lee (2000) discussed three
purposes of exploratory study in his book discovering significant variables in the field sitation,
discovering relationships among variables, and laying the groundwork for later, more systematic and
rigorous testing of hypotheses. Therefore, to explore the empirical evidence of above mentioned
question, researcher used the interpretative approach of grounded theory which based on case study
research method. Nordqvist (2009) suggest interpretative approach when researcher explores the insights
and complex realities of family firms. Case study research strategy has been increasingly employed as a
research tool (e.g., Yin, 2009; Perry & Kraemer, 1986; Hamel, 1992) in different fields such as business
(Ghauri et al., 1995), political science, psychology and sociology (Gilgun, 1994), particularly given that
when capturing family business activities (e.g., Piana et al., 2012, Cruz et al., 2012; Kirsipuu, 2012;
Tomei and Ferrari, 2010). However, Yin (2003, 2009) discussed three conditions (a) type of research
question (b) control of behavioral events (c) contemporary events in his famous book to choose the
research strategy. The strategy, case study, is favored if questions of research study mainly focus on
why and how, study investigating contemporary events and investigators have no control on
behavioral events (Yin, 2003, 2009). This study meets the above all conditions so case study will be
preferred than other strategies.

This study will be employed data triangulation techniques for data collection because Yin (2009)
recommends that these techniques are more supportive to explore the fact than a single source of
evidence. The following techniques will be used to collect the data after the consent of my
supervisor: focus interviews with family business owners, direct observation and archival
records. Data triangulation constructs the high validity of your data (yin, 2009). Case study
protocol will be developed to increase the reliability before conducting the survey. During data
collection investigator will be maintained a case study database, case study notes, narratives and
tabular materials, and chain of evidence to increase the reliability of this study. NVivo 7
analytical tools will be employed to make qualitative analysis from the survey data.