Moral Emotions in Family Businesses: Exploring Vicarious Guilt of the Next Generation
研究了家族企业下一代成员的替代性内疚如何影响其道德行为，发现与家族认同感较低的下一代更易产生内疚，进而促使他们采取更负责任的行为。
In this article, we explore intergenerational moral emotions as a psychological root of ethical management practices. We develop a conceptual model of next-generation guilt in family business by building on family systems and identification theories. We test it with a scenario approach depicting an ethical dilemma. Our findings suggest that the less identified the next generation is with the family, the more likely vicarious guilt emerges. Guilt then leads to intentions of more responsible behaviors, such as reparative actions, apologies, and change in business practices. The implications encourage future research on family business guilt and moral decisions across generations.