Does COVID-19 Change CSR? A Family Business Perspective

Elena Rivo-López,Sofía Novoa-Santos,María Isabel Doval-Ruiz,Mónica Villanueva-Villar

doi:10.3390/su132413954

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the #Damos La Cara (“Let’s show our face”) initiative, which is an initiative promoted by the Instituto de la Empresa Familiar, the most representative organization of family businesses in Spain. This analysis allowed us to characterize the Spanish family business and to analyze their reactions and interventions in the face of the crisis posed by COVID-19 from the perspective of CSR. The methodology used consisted of a content analysis, viewing 127 videos wherein family members presented their companies and the activities carried out to improve their relations with their employees and their environment. The conclusions reached allowed us to affirm that they were mostly second- and third-generation companies from the manufacturing sector; the most repeated actions were social commitment to their workers (internal) and the donation of medical materials (corporate). To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that an analysis of these characteristics had been carried out in the field of family businesses. This analysis showed the intense philanthropic activity carried out by Spanish family businesses, not only in emergencies but also as a regular activity and as a consequence of their values and long-term vision.

Highlights

The literature on family businesses includes multiple definitions of the concept [1].For instance, Christman et al [2] identified 21 definitions of a family business (FB)
Family businesses were in the second generation, of them were in the third generation, and only were in the fourth generation
Resilience, agility, and adaptability are some of the characteristics that have defined family businesses during the pandemic and have enabled them to meet the challenges they have faced during these difficult times

Summary

Introduction

Christman et al [2] identified 21 definitions of a family business (FB). The importance of family businesses worldwide is unquestionable in terms of the number of companies, their contribution to the GDPs of countries, and the volume of employment generated [5,6]. In Spain, 90% of private companies are family owned; these companies generate 70% of private employment and contribute nearly 60% of the GDP [7]. According to the Sustainability 2021, 13, 13954.

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