Ali Rıza Değer, who continues to work as the Project Head on Social Responsibility Projects, United Nations Global Compact & Corporate Social Responsibility, together with his duties as Management Consultant and General Coordinator in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, promotion and education sectors, reviewed concepts of family-owned business and family in business in his article this week…
Hello Dear Friends,
As you, my esteemed readers, will remember very well, I wanted to remind this special issue I mentioned before you again, when I read the article titled “The Toxic Effects of Branding Your Workplace a “Family” in HBR Harvard Business Review Turkey by Mr. Joshua A. Luna especially for the business world and our senior managers.
As you know very well, the concept of “Family” in companies and the concept of “Family Companies” in our business world, which I especially use in many places, are not very related to each other!
“If you’ve come across an active job posting or searched for a new job in the last ten years, you’ve probably seen some companies use the word ‘family’ to describe their culture. “We are a family!” or “Welcome to the (Company Name) Family!” As…
This is hardly surprising, as we spend most of our non-sleeping hours at work. Our relationships with our colleagues or teammates; it serves many purposes, such as helping us grow in our careers and providing us with emotional support and friendship. Therefore, it makes sense that the relationships you form at work reflect those you form in a family setting. However, how these relationships turn out depends on your company’s culture!
As a leadership development trainer, this is one of the biggest organizational mistakes I’ve seen among managers and high-performing teams. While some aspects of the ‘family’ culture bring values such as respect, empathy, and a sense of belonging, ultimately, the harms of trying to present the company culture as a ‘family’ may be more than the psychological satisfaction it creates…
How can family culture harm employees?
First, we must understand that family means different things to different people. Not everyone wants to establish a deeper connection with their colleagues, to be subordinate to the company. In a professional context, an employee would want to keep to herself some private details of her personal life outside of work. However, if you are like a ‘Family’ at your workplace, such conversations are perfectly normal. Because the purpose of the company is to promote socialization for the benefit of the whole. Research shows that when a company uses the metaphor of ‘Family’ in businesses, it provides a positive, motivating and uplifting culture where co-workers are no longer viewed as colleagues but as siblings. This leads employees to become emotionally attached to the company. As a matter of fact, even if this situation can reduce conflicts and disagreements within the company, for fear of causing tension in their relations with their superiors, employees; they may feel obliged to share or not to share any information asked to them. (Respect and loyalty to family elders).
An exaggerated sense of loyalty hurts!
When a family member needs you or requires you to take on a responsibility, you often step forward without second thought. At least, this is the perception in family relationships. When the same situation occurs in a work setting, loyalty can be mistaken for crossing the boundaries of duty to solve the problem. According to Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones’ book ‘The Character of a Corporation’, those who work in a family culture are selflessly willing to step forward to help others when they are needed…
There’s also the other side. Numerous examples and studies show that extremely loyal people are more likely to engage in unethical actions or be used by their employers to keep their jobs. These include being asked to work unreasonable hours or on projects and tasks unrelated to your role, or keeping certain information and developments confidential because it is in the best interests of the company.
If you promote a family culture, does that make the employer the parent and the employees the children? Not everyone has a good relationship with their parents or siblings, and feelings from family dynamics can easily seep into professional relationships if allowed. These dynamics can also cause employees to feel powerless to stand on their own two feet and take on tasks outside of their comfort zone (Parents decide and children follow orders). This can cause personalities and predestined dynamics to get ahead of what is expected of them to do their job well…
Another problem arises when it comes to firing an employee or giving constructive feedback to an employee. Almost everything in family culture is always personal. You cannot fire your family members and include them in performance improvement plans… Relationships between employees and employers are temporary in nature and must end at some point. Therefore, comparing the business relationship to a family implies that the bond will last forever…
Also, when you adopt a family culture, you risk hiding the misbehavior of your close colleagues. Because you can’t expose the fault of a family member. Research shows that when employees in a family culture have close relationships with one another, they generally do not report any misconduct. Although I somewhat agree with the views such as “The fear that they may harm each other causes other employees to remain silent and unintentionally make them partners in the wrong…”
Companies that do not have much age difference between Board Members or Senior Managers define themselves in their corporate culture and say, “We are a family!” etc. I don’t think they mean the usual relations between parents and their children. I think that the approach in these statements should be interpreted as moving towards the goals in a team spirit, playing team games, all together and as brothers. We all know that generational conflicts are experienced intensely in the business world…
Therefore, in order to achieve the results you want, in unity and solidarity with your employees;
-Don’t dwell too much on the concepts…
-Clarify your values and principles …
-Set and share your common goals and objectives…
-Restructure your organizational chart according to your business plan…
-Fix the confusion in the job descriptions…
-Financial Put forward your B and C plans in terms of …
-Avoid conflicts of interest as Senior Management…
-Focus on creating added value…
-Be an accessible manager …
-Value your employees…
-Explain your expectations in the recruitment process
-Respect their thoughts and opinions …
-Make them participate…
-Take care of their living standards …
-Approach people with empathy. Don’t listen to the other person just to answer + give advice…
-Support their personal development and career plans…
-Assess their HR performance professionally …
-Remember that new generations do not want to stay in the same company for their careers…
Finally; Keeping in mind that business relations cover a long or short, temporary period (Sometimes your employees and sometimes your company may be insufficient for developments) in case of inadequacy, you can start a new search. I mean, to protect your own place and status, don’t interrupt anyone. Of course, these explanations also apply to “Family Businesses”. The solution to the traditional family problems experienced in family companies is in the special Family / Company Constitution to be prepared for that company!
For a happier future…
Best regards.
ALİ RIZA DEĞER