TY - JOUR

T1 - Family firms as institutions

T2 - Cultural reproduction and status maintenance among multi-centenary shinise in Kyoto

AU - Sasaki, Innan

AU - Ravasi, Davide

AU - Micelotta, Evelyn

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Organization Studies, 40 (6), 2019, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2019 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Organization Studies page: http://journals.sagepub.com/home/OSS on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - Our study investigated how multi-centenary family firms in the area of Kyoto – collectively known as shinise – maintain a high social status in the community. Our analysis unpacks the socio-cultural practices through which the ongoing interaction among these actors re-enacts and reproduces the social order that ascribes shinise a distinct social standing in exchange for their continued commitment to practices and structures that help the community preserve its cultural integrity and collective identity. By doing so, our findings trace a connection between status maintenance and the expressive function that a category of firms performs within a community. At the same time, our study reveals a dark side of high status, by showing how their commitments lock shinise in a position of ‘benign entrapment’ that may impose sacrifices on family members and severe limitations to their personal freedom.

AB - Our study investigated how multi-centenary family firms in the area of Kyoto – collectively known as shinise – maintain a high social status in the community. Our analysis unpacks the socio-cultural practices through which the ongoing interaction among these actors re-enacts and reproduces the social order that ascribes shinise a distinct social standing in exchange for their continued commitment to practices and structures that help the community preserve its cultural integrity and collective identity. By doing so, our findings trace a connection between status maintenance and the expressive function that a category of firms performs within a community. At the same time, our study reveals a dark side of high status, by showing how their commitments lock shinise in a position of ‘benign entrapment’ that may impose sacrifices on family members and severe limitations to their personal freedom.

KW - craft

KW - culture

KW - institutional theory

KW - status

KW - Selznick

U2 - 10.1177/0170840618818596

DO - 10.1177/0170840618818596

M3 - Journal article

VL - 40

SP - 793

EP - 831

JO - Organization Studies

JF - Organization Studies

SN - 0170-8406

IS - 6

ER -