California State University-Channel Islands, United States
Family-owned enterprises frequently face a delicate dilemma: how to preserve the authenticity of their cultural roots across multiple generations while navigating to evolving market conditions, shifting consumer preferences, and technological advancements. This tension is especially pronounced in communities rich in cultural heritage, where local expectations converge with the pressures of modern business environments. In this paper, we focus on how family businesses actively adopt, preserve, and leverage local culture to forge and sustain meaningful connections with their communities. Drawing on an inductive qualitative study of a multi-generational family enterprise in Hawaii, we develop a theoretical framework of “cultural stewardship”—demonstrating how these firms safeguard, adapt, and transmit cultural values across generations while remaining responsive to contemporary challenges.
