For the people by the people: The case of De Dietrich stewardship

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the coronavirus has exposed the importance of humane-centered entrepreneurship, some family businesses put their stakeholders at the center of their activities over generations. In this article, I elaborate how the De Dietrich family included a humane-centered stewardship mindset in the family firm’s activities and development over generations. I reviewed the family’s history through the lens of stewardship. First, I briefly outline the history of the De Dietrich family and review stewardship. Describing the research approach and method, I explore the stance on stewardship of the family firm, surviving through several crises. The results show that family businesses with a humane-centered focus in their stewardship mindset are more resilient when it comes to disruptive contextual situations and exhibit a long-term performance over time.