Chinese Family Business in Malaysia: Development, Culture and the Family Business Philosophy

Abstract

Although there has been an emerging field of research on Chinese family firms recently, the level at which Malaysia Chinese family firms were studied is surprisingly far below the observed realities surrounding this type of businesses including their scope of involvement and achievements. This paper, which is built on the existing literature on the topic of Chinese family firms in Malaysia, discusses the development of these firms and the role of Chinese culture and the family business philosophy in shaping the business identity and influencing much of the business outcomes. The combination of family, intra-ethnic and, most importantly, inter-ethnic networks and partnerships are crucial to the development of the business and account for a good deal of their entrepreneurial experiences. The adoption of western management principles and skills becomes much needed when the business grows larger because traditional Chinese management style that is based on family connections seems to be suitable for small and less complicated firms.