Our Latest Articles

January 15, 2024 - Issue #106

When the Family Leaves the Business, Can Their Values Remain? When the Family Leaves the Business, Can Their Values Remain? Researchers explored how the Cadbury family’s Quaker values, which prioritized honesty and fairness, have endured even after the confectioner was sold to Kraft.
Succession, Money, and Relationships Were Top-10 Topics in 2023 Succession, Money, and Relationships Were Top-10 Topics in 2023 Our site visitors cared about getting the next generation ready for leadership, having a plan in place, and minimizing conflict and money woes.
Family Business Patriarchs and Matriarchs: When Is It Time to Move On? Family Business Patriarchs and Matriarchs: When Is It Time to Move On? The business may run smoothly; the heirs may be competent -- but is the older generation emotionally ready? An advisor weighs in.
Punishment, Reward, Control: How Money Shows Up in the Business Family Punishment, Reward, Control: How Money Shows Up in the Business Family Talking about money can be taboo, but deeply engrained attitudes towards it can stir complex emotions, setting the stage for conflict and dysfunction.
Mat Hughes Family Firm About to Join the Ultra-Rich Mat Hughes

Andrew Nisbet's UK-based multinational distributor to the food-service sector is talking with a potential buyer, Bunzl. The deal could bring Nisbet £450m.

Mitzi Perdue on Family Connections
How to Build a Family Business Portfolio: Your Location Matters How to Build a Family Business Portfolio: Your Location Matters While there are many routes to success, research shows that entrepreneurial business families should consider the possible impact of where they live on how they grow.
Sensemaking and Purpose Drive Innovation and Transformation Sensemaking and Purpose Drive Innovation and Transformation If you can confidently answer the questions, “Why are we doing this?” and “What are we trying to accomplish?,” it will have a powerful effect on your company.
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What Japan's Oldest Businesses Can Teach Us About Longevity
by Peter Vogel / Commentary

Should longevity always be the goal? And if so, what exactly should endure—the operating company, a particular business model, or the family enterprise system itself? Read more...

When Family Business Reputation Helps—and When It Hurts
by Philipp Jaufenthaler, Roland Schroll, and Franz Kellermanns / Research Insight

Family firms often enjoy strong consumer goodwill, until they engage in deliberate misconduct -- when higher expectations can produce deeper disappointment and sharper backlash. Read more...

Why People Risk Belongs on Every Family Business Board Agenda
by Claudia Binz Astrachan and Lars B. Sonderegger / Practice Insight

Boards routinely scrutinize financial and strategic risk. But talent shortages, leadership culture problems, and succession gaps can erode long-term value just as quickly. Read more...

Before You Grow the Family Business, Know What Not to Break
by Meghan Lynch and Mat Hughes / Commentary

The challenge during succession is that not every inherited element deserves to be preserved. But not every piece of the legacy is safe to disrupt, either. Read more...

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Announcing Our 2024-25 Schulze Awards Winners
by Kimberly Eddleston and Mat Hughes
From 'Passing Down' to 'Building Up': Rethinking Values in Family Firms
by Viktoria Luft, Anne Katarina Heider, Heinrich Liechtenstein, and Tarek el Sehity
Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation

Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation