The relationship between food heritage and clan culture: is “familiness” the missing link in SMEs?
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 26 August 2020
Issue publication date: 24 December 2020
Abstract
Purpose
This paper empirically tests the relationship between food heritage, familiness, and clan culture, thus, highlighting the pivotal role of familiness in building robustly competitive food firms based on clan culture and food heritage.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodological approach adopted is based on a quantitative analysis with data from one eco-tourist city in Iran (Torqabeh). In this regard, we developed a structured questionnaire surveying 98 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the food industry. We then used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to carry out the analysis.
Findings
The results indicate the significant positive relationship between food heritage and clan culture, and highlight the role of familiness as a strong mediator, which is also associated with a strong relationship between food heritage and clan culture.
Research limitations/implications
In the present study, the main limitation was linked to the small sample size and data collection, which took place in only a single city; however, further research could overcome this limitation by investigating SMEs from a heterogeneous geographical context.
Originality/value
The value of this research relates to studies that have examined food heritage as a possible antecedent of familiness. Moreover, the novelty of this research is to study the concept of familiness in improving resource-based views and organizational theories.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We wish to address our many thanks to Professor Francesca Ricciardi at the Department of Management, University of Torino, Italy, for the valuable guidelines and assessments provided for the drafting of this article.
Citation
Khatami, F., Ferraris, A., De Bernardi, P. and Cantino, V. (2021), "The relationship between food heritage and clan culture: is “familiness” the missing link in SMEs?", British Food Journal, Vol. 123 No. 1, pp. 337-354. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-12-2019-0952
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited