Boundary management strategies for governing family firms: A UAE-based case study

Relying on boundary theory insights, this article aims to improve the existing knowledge base on optimal governance configurations in family-run companies operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and uncover specific boundary management strategies that contribute to their longevity. Considering the distinctiveness of the UAE's cultural and regulatory environment, the paper uses a single case study approach for grasping contextual details that are beyond the reach of quantitative techniques. Boundary management strategies in the studied firm evolved from high family-business integration to instances when selected aspects of family and business domains (organizational culture, employee policies, and ownership and finances) permeated into each other at different levels along the integration–segmentation continuum to preserve an optimal governance configuration. The study offers several factors (founder's characteristics, cultural values, industry features, and intra-family succession uncertainty) to explain the evolving nature of boundary management strategies that contributed to the success of a UAE-based family firm.