Sacralization and the Intergenerational Transmission of Values in Cadbury

Abstract

How do family values endure decades after an enterprise is no longer a family business? Addressing this question has been a challenge in social theory, and it is an issue of particular concern for family businesses where firm and family values are often indistinguishable. We analyze the transmission of family, organizational, and religious values across generations in Cadbury, a multinational confectionary company founded in England in 1824. We identify sacralization as a central process that explains Cadbury’s success in transferring values across time and different organizational structures. We describe how sacralization is driven by moralization, communion, and syncretism.