The Construct of Place Attachment in Family and Non-Family Businesses: Validation of a Measurement Tool

S. Amato, R. Rodrigo Basco and M. Radu-Lefebvre ()
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M. Radu-Lefebvre: Audencia Business School

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Abstract: 1 The Con s t ruc t of P lace A ttachment in F amily and N on - F amily Businesse s: Validati on of a Measurement Tool Abstract Purpose – Place attachment enables CEOs to leverage local resources, access information, and seize business opportunities, thereby enhancing firm performance. However, its influence may vary between family and non - family firms due to the family ' s socio - economic ti es, non - financial goals, and local community engagement. This study introduces the multidimensional construct of place attachment to business research, extending its theoretical foundations from environmental psychology to organizational studies. Design/me thodology/approach – Drawing from survey data of 528 French firms, this study uses a stepwise empirical strategy – combining exploratory factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS – SEM) – to test and validate the construct of place attachment and examine its relationship with firm performance . Findings – P lace attachment emerges as a reflective second - order construct composed of five dimensions: place identity, place dependence, nature bonding, family bonding , and friend bonding. Multigroup analysis reveals that , while the structure of place attachment is consistent across both family and non - family businesses , its impact on performance varies. The CEO ' s p lace attachment is positively associated with economic, employee, and environmental performance in non - family businesses, but shows no significant relationship in family on es . Originality/value – By integrating the construct of place attachment into the business domain, this study offers a novel framework for understanding how CEOs ' socio - emotional connections to a given place shape firm - level outcomes, advancing the context - sensitive approach of management theory. This contextualization enriches family business literature by 2 emphasizing place as a critical, yet overlooked, element of organizational behavior and strategic decision-making.

Keywords: Family firms; Place attachment; Territories; Survey research; PLS-SEM (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-11
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05373435v1
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Published in Journal of Family Business Management, 2025, 15 (6), pp.1721-1753. ⟨10.1108/JFBM-03-2025-0071⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05373435

DOI: 10.1108/JFBM-03-2025-0071

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