{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,22]],"date-time":"2026-10-22T06:00:52Z","timestamp":1792648852380,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":14,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2011,4,22]],"date-time":"2011-04-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1303430400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2011,4,22]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>Family businesses (FBs) play an important role in economies across the world. FBs are consistently associated with specific attributes and expectations, which is something that points towards the notion that FBs can be regarded as a \u201cbrand\u201d on their own. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether FBs have actually become a \u201cbrand\u201d in the eyes of the wider population.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The empirical investigation is based on the \u201cPersonal Construct Theory\u201d (PCT), developed by George R. Kelly. According to this theory, human beings categorise and evaluate the world by building \u201cpersonal constructs\u201d that reflect their unconscious attitudes and value systems. To find out about the attitudes towards FBs, we used the \u201cNextexpertizer\u201d<jats:sup>\u00ae<\/jats:sup> program, which exploits the PCT as a computer\u2010based survey instrument. Finally, these results are connected with two different brand theories: the identity\u2010oriented brand theory of Heribert Meffert and a sociological\u2010based understanding of brands. The study was conducted in two stages: in 2007\/2008 the authors interviewed a randomised sample of 80 people across Germany. In 2009 they interviewed 30 people with almost identical socio\u2010demographic characteristics, to assure the comparability of the two surveys.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>The analysis of the aforementioned brand theories shows that FBs can be indeed described as a brand on their own. In order to speak of a strong brand, the identity\u2010oriented approach requires the compliance between the intro\u2010perspective and the external\u2010perspective of brands. The perceptions of FBs exhibit a remarkable stability in both surveys. In sum, FBs are perceived as the most sustainable and social type of company. Nevertheless, FBs are also associated with certain negative attributes: for example, middle\u2010size FBs are regarded as particularly inflexible.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The study shows that FBs address the identity myths of stability and safety like no other company type. Yet the identity myths also evoke other societal needs, such as egoistic self\u2010fulfillment motives, or the will to live free and without boundaries. For these needs, FBs are perceived as inflexible and stiff.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/20436231111122272","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,5,21]],"date-time":"2011-05-21T08:19:16Z","timestamp":1305965956000},"page":"37-46","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":113,"title":["The \u201cfamily business brand\u201d: an enquiry into the construction of the image of family businesses"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"1","author":[{"given":"Alexander","family":"Krappe","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lazaros","family":"Goutas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arist","family":"von Schlippe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b1","unstructured":"Armstrong, A.S. (2006), A Short History of Myth, Canongate Books, Edinburgh."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chua, J.H., Chrisman, J.J. and Sharma, P. (1999), \u201cDefining the family business by behaviour\u201d, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Vol. 23, pp. 19\u201039.","DOI":"10.1177\/104225879902300402"},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hoffmeister, D. (2001), Mythos Familie. Zur soziologischen Theorie familialen Wandels, Leske und Budrich, Opladen.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-663-10858-0"},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b4","unstructured":"Holt, D. (2004), How Brands Become Icons \u2013 The Principles of Cultural Branding, Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, Boston, MA."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b7","unstructured":"Kelly, G.A. (1955), The Psychology of Personal Constructs, Vols I & II, Norton, New York, NY."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b9","unstructured":"Kruse, P., Dittler, A. and Schomburg, F. (2003), \u201cnextexpertizer und nextcoach: Kompetenzmessung aus der Sicht der Theorie kognitiver Selbstorganisation\u201d, in Erpenbeck, J. and von Rosenstiel, L. (Hrsg.), Handbuch Kompetenzmessung, Sch\u00e4fer\u2010Poeschel, Stuttgart, pp. 405\u201027."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meffert, H., Burmann, C. and Koers, M. (2005), Markenmanagement\u2010 Identit\u00e4tsorientierte Markenf\u00fchrung und praktische Umsetzung, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-322-84747-8"},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b11","unstructured":"Meffert, H., Burmann, C. and Kirchgeorg, M. (2008), Marketing Grundlagen marktorientierter Unternehmensf\u00fchrung \u2013 Konzepte \u2013 Instrumente \u2013 Praxisbeispiele, Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Peuckert, R. (1999), Familienformen im sozialen Wandel, (3. Ausgabe), Leske+Budrich, Opladen.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-663-10039-3"},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b13","unstructured":"Scheer, J.W. and Catina, A. (1993), \u201cDie Theorie der Pers\u00f6nlichen Konstrukte\u201d, in Scheer, J.W. and Catina, A. (Hrsg.), Einf\u00fchrung in die Repertory Grid\u2010Technik. Band 1: Grundlagen und Methoden, Huber, Bern, pp. 11\u201023."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b14","unstructured":"Slater, P. (1977), The Measurement of Interpersonal Space by Grid Technique, Wiley, London."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b5","unstructured":"ifo Institut f\u00fcr Wirtschaftsforschung e.V (2009), \u201cDas ifo Gesch\u00e4ftsklima f\u00fcr die Gewerbliche Wirtschaft (seit Januar 1991) (September 2009)\u201d, available at: www.cesifo\u2010group.de\/portal\/page\/portal\/ifoHome\/a\u2010winfo\/d1index\/10indexgsk (Abgerufen: 06. Oktober 2009)."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b6","unstructured":"Infratest dimap (2009), \u201cARD\u2010DeutschlandTREND Februar 2009 (Februar 2009)\u201d, available at: www.infratest\u2010dimap.de\/umfragen\u2010analysen\/bundesweit\/ard\u2010deutschlandtrend\/2009\/februar\/call (accessed 25 September 2009)."},{"key":"key2022020520271954600_b8","unstructured":"Kruse, P. (2004), next practice \u2013 Erfolgreiches Management von Instabilit\u00e4t. 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