Exploring strategic corporate sustainability management in family businesses: A systematic literature review

Abstract The escalating demands from legislative authorities and stakeholders for companies to adopt corporate sustainability measures underscore the growing importance of strategic sustainability management. Despite the efforts made by companies in this domain, the strategic management of sustainability in family businesses remains an under-researched area. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review covering the period from 2006 to 2022, on the topic of strategic sustainability management in family businesses. Our investigation encompasses a content analysis of 98 relevant studies. Our research question is: “What aspects are taken into account by family businesses in their corporate sustainability strategies?” We tackle this issue through a methodological triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methods. Our results yield three clusters of strategies for corporate sustainability in family businesses: (1) Family values and succession planning; Stakeholder relations and communication; (2) Risk taking, Inventions, and Technologies; and (3) Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship. In addition, we systematically present a range of descriptive indicators, including the research methodologies applied and the geographic focus of the published literature. This research contributes significant insights for scholars and practitioners alike, providing valuable guidance in this field. Moreover, our study paves the way for further investigations into the strategies that influence sustainability within the context of family businesses. By shedding light on this critical area, we aim to foster a more sustainable and informed approach to corporate practices among family-owned enterprises.