A scoping review of human resource management practices in family business

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore human resource management practices in family firms, bridging current gaps in knowledge and offering evidence-based suggestions for improvement. Design/methodology/approach This scoping review adhered to the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) procedure and PRISMA-ScR guidelines in undertaking a synthesis of HRM practices in family businesses. Literature from five databases (2000–2025) was screened. Thematic analysis was employed in determining the main HRM practices, with rigour and transparency maintained for qualitative synthesis. Findings The present study reveals that family businesses predominantly use informal human resource management (HRM) practices, including nepotistic hiring, subjective performance evaluations and unplanned succession planning, to suppress workforce diversity and innovation. It presents a hybrid HRM model that integrates planned labour management and the trust relationship to enable family firms to remain in business, retain people and be competitive in the long term. Practical implications According to this study, changing the rules requires that HRM be made more official in family businesses. For example, the wage law should be improved, and HR should be encouraged to go digital. This would introduce hybrid HRM models combining formal structures with trust-based management. It uses a resource-based view, agency theory and institutional theory ideas by examining how HRM has changed over time in family companies. Originality/value The paper contrasts relational trust-based and formal HRM approaches to show how HRM in family firms functions differently. Beyond legislative necessity, it proposes a blended HRM approach that considers cultural values. Integrating RBV, agency theory and institutional theory challenges typical assumptions and offers a distinctive human resource management approach for emerging nations.