THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ON THE SURVIVABILITY OF FAMILY BUSINESSES

Abstract

The study examined the influence of organizational culture on the survivability of family businesses in South-Eastern Nigeria. The study adopted a historical analytical approach in the study of  Jevnik Restaurant - family owned business, situated in one of the states in South-eastern Nigeria, that have been in operation for more than 25 years. The name of the enterprise is Ntachi – Osa Restaurant, a popular mega restaurant, situated within Owerri metropolis, the capital of Imo State, Nigeria, with branches in Port Harcourt and Abuja. The success and survivability of the business have been built on its outstanding and excellent organizational culture, which is evident in their punctuality,  prompt service – delivery, honesty, cleanliness and good customer relationship. These attributes have attracted loyal customers and clients who have patronized them for more than  a decade. In order to corroborate the result from the historical analysis, a mini survey that consist of 30 customers  who were conveniently selected, was carried out in order to evaluate their opinion on Ntachi-Osa’s organizational culture. The responses generated from them correlate with the findings from the historical analysis. Therefore, it is evident that organizational culture is the engine that drives business enterprises. Thus, business owners should endeavor to incorporate honesty, discipline, prompt service delivery, and punctuality in building a lasting culture for their enterprise.