Ahmed Rageh

Description or Abstract

Purpose This proposed study aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of the image and reputation of family business brands in Egypt, a context where family firms dominate the private sector yet face unique cultural, economic, and institutional challenges. By focusing on Egypt—a collectivist society with strong familial ties and evolving market dynamics—the research seeks to uncover how family-specific attributes (e.g., generational legacy, ethical governance) and stakeholder perceptions shape brand reputation and translate into financial and non-financial outcomes. The study will employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to quantitatively analyze these relationships, offering insights tailored to the Egyptian context, where family firms are pivotal to economic stability but under-researched in academic literature.

Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach is proposed, combining quantitative surveys with SEM analysis to test hypotheses and qualitative interviews to contextualize findings. Data will be collected via structured questionnaires distributed to 400 stakeholders of Egyptian family businesses, including customers, employees, suppliers, and local investors. The questionnaire will measure:

  • Antecedents: Family influence (generational involvement, family control), CSR activities (e.g., community support, environmental initiatives), communication strategies (emphasis on family legacy, transparency), and governance practices (e.g., succession planning).
  • Mediators: Trust (in brand promises), emotional attachment (pride in associating with family brands), and perceived authenticity (alignment of actions with stated values).
  • Consequences: Customer loyalty (repeat purchases, referrals), access to capital (ease of securing loans/investments), and employee retention (job satisfaction, long-term commitment).

Rationale:

  • Cultural Capital: Reflects Egypt’s collectivist values, Islamic ethics (e.g., Zakat), and multigenerational narratives central to family firm identity.
  • Corporate Legacy: Emphasizes the study’s focus on how family heritage and long-term orientation shape reputation.
  • SEM Analysis: Highlights the methodological rigor.
  • Socioeconomic Outcomes: Connects reputation to Egypt’s economic resilience (e.g., access to capital, employment stability).

SEM analysis using SmartPLS 4.0 will test hypothesized pathways, while qualitative interviews with 20 family business leaders will explore contextual factors (e.g., cultural values, economic pressures). The sample will target family firms in Cairo, Alexandria, and Mansoura across industries like manufacturing, retail, and agriculture.

Hypothesized Findings

  1. Antecedents:
    • Family influence and CSR activities aligned with Islamic principles of Zakat will strongly enhance brand reputation.
    • Communication strategies emphasizing family legacy will amplify trust, particularly in rural areas with strong communal ties.
  2. Mediators:
    • Trust will mediate the relationship between reputation and customer loyalty.
    • Emotional attachment will drive employee retention, especially in firms with multigenerational leadership.
  3. Consequences:
    • Reputable family brands will impact customer loyalty.
    • Smaller family firms will struggle to convert reputation into financial gains

Family business, Egypt, brand reputation, SEM analysis, stakeholder trust, Islamic CSR.

Paper type Research proposal.

Originality This study offers three novel contributions:

  1. Context-specific focus: First SEM-based examination of family business reputation in Egypt, addressing gaps in Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) research.
  2. Cultural integration: Incorporates Islamic ethics (e.g., Zakat) and collectivist values into the CSR-reputation nexus.
  3. Policy relevance: Connects family firm reputation to Egypt’s economic resilience amid inflation and currency challenges.

Social/practical implications

  • For family firms:
    • Leverage generational narratives in branding (e.g., “family since 1950”) to strengthen emotional ties in culturally rooted markets.
    • Align CSR with Islamic principles (e.g., community iftar events, ethical supply chains) to enhance legitimacy.
    • Formalize governance (e.g., succession plans) to mitigate skepticism among younger, reform-minded stakeholders.
  • For policymakers:
    • Design incentives (tax breaks, grants) for family firms engaging in CSR to bolster community development.
    • Support training programs to help SMEs adopt digital tools for reputation management (e.g., social media storytelling).

Anticipated Limitations

  1. Regional bias: Findings may not generalize to non-Arab or less collectivist contexts.
  2. Economic volatility: Egypt’s inflationary environment (e.g., 33.7% inflation in 2023) may unpredictably influence stakeholder perceptions.
  3. Sampling challenges: Difficulty accessing family patriarchs/matriarchs due to cultural reluctance to share internal data.

Future research

  1. Cross-MENA comparisons: Compare Egyptian family firms with those in Gulf states (e.g., UAE) to isolate cultural vs. economic drivers.
  2. Crisis impact: Study how Egypt’s macroeconomic instability affects reputation-building strategies.
  3. Digital transition: Analyze how digitalization (e.g., e-commerce adoption) moderates family brand authenticity.

Conclusion By grounding the antecedents and consequences of family business reputation in Egypt’s unique socio-cultural and economic landscape, this study aims to provide actionable strategies for sustaining family enterprises—a cornerstone of the Egyptian economy. The integration of SEM with qualitative insights seeks to advance both theoretical rigor and practical relevance, ultimately supporting family firms in navigating globalization while preserving their heritage.

This title balances specificity (Egypt, SEM), theoretical depth (cultural capital, legacy), and practical relevance (socioeconomic outcomes), positioning the study as both contextually grounded and methodologically robust.

Keywords

Family business, Egypt, brand reputation, SEM analysis, stakeholder trust, Islamic CSR.

Department

Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Program

MENA Family Business Research

Performance Date

2025-10-25

Content Type

Conference Proceeding

File Type

Transcript

Language

eng

Download

Included in

Business Commons

Share

COinS