The Validation of Predictors of Commitment in Family Businesses

Family businesses are the most prevalent form of business throughout the world and are of great importance in developing economies. In South Africa it is estimated that 84 percent of all businesses in the formal sector are family-owned. Even though family businesses represent a dominant form of economic organisation, there is neglect in terms of research, particularly with respect to development of theories that can add value and be put into practice. The key focus of this study is to provide research evidence for the verification of the predictive model Resulting Commitment Behaviours and the relationship(s) that the antecedents Individual Characteristics, Familial Cultural Socialisation, and Contextual Factors might have with an employed family member s Resulting Commitment Behaviour. The research approach that were followed in this research is quantitative in nature, and the study design was that of an ex post facto cross-sectional field survey. The empirical findings were statistically tested in order to contribute to the theory in the fields of family business and organisational behaviour.