RT Article
T1 Linking CEO celebrity to the ethical behavior of family firms in a digital age: evidence from China
JF Journal of business ethics
VO 198
IS 4
SP 787
OP 811
A1 Chin, Tachia
A1 Singh, Sanjay K.
A1 Wu, Liang
A1 Lamprinakos, Grigorios
A2 Singh, Sanjay K.
A2 Wu, Liang
A2 Lamprinakos, Grigorios
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1925604853
AB Given the widespread use of social media, growing interest has been paid to the nexus of corporate ethics and the celebrity status of chief executive officers (CEOs). This is of even more paramount importance in family-owned firms that are very sensitive to public image and its ethical relevance. However, no empirical evidence has been found. In response, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mechanisms through which family business ethics and CEO celebrity are associated, as well as the moderating influence of a leader's personal traits on these relationships. According to secondary data from listed Chinese family firms, from 2013 to 2020, the celebrity status of CEOs was strongly connected with the ethical behavior of organizations; however, this link was mitigated by the heterogeneity of CEOs. The firm's ethical behavior and the CEO's celebrity are positively correlated when the CEO is a family member; when the CEO is not a family member, the correlation is inversely U-shaped. Furthermore, the age, dualities (including the chairman role), and tenure of CEOs had a major impact on the mechanisms of CEO fame and family business ethics. The theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed in detail.
K1 Business Ethics
K1 Celebrity CEO
K1 Corporate Social Responsibility
K1 Family Business
K1 family firm
K1 Firm ethical behavior
K1 Media Ethics
K1 Political Ethics
K1 Socioemotional wealth
K1 Aufsatz in Zeitschrift
DO 10.1007/s10551-025-05940-y