“Not only will the clear communication of values assist with driving an internal culture of mutual cooperation, but from a customer relations perspective, it is a powerful and persuasive tool for attracting and driving customer loyalty.”, the vast majority of the 80% of the South African family businesses that follow a clearly defined set of values, claim that this helped them mitigate the impact of the pandemic on their operations.
“Embracing change and implementing solid change management policies and practices should be a matter of priority for businesses, particularly given the rapid technological advancements that are transforming various industries,” February says. February says that while many may view change through the lens of digital transformation, particularly now with the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, this is only one contributor to business longevity. “Family entrepreneurs must scrutinise and formalise their governance policies and structures wherever possible.”“The G in ESG is often neglected in family-run businesses and as a result, the human and social capital of those companies is not fully realised,” he says.
However, governance is a multi-faceted component in family businesses and has a direct influence on whether communication systems support positive growth or lead to internal divisions and the breakdown of value systems.