Celebrating International Women's Day

March 08, 2024 - Issue #109

How Three Women Upheld Family Values and Thrived Despite Adversity A family's enduring values, fully believed and truly lived, can be a compass in hard times and a competitive advantage.

Better Let Your Brother Do It: Men Are Still Preferred in CEO Successions At 800 German firms, 81% chose sons over daughters in succession decisions -- and the presence of first-born sons also made them exclude outside candidates.

Women on Family Business Boards Shun Layoffs Research showed that women directors valued relationships with all stakeholders and had a long-term view that prioritized workforce security.

Daughter Continues Mom's Legacy of Helping Others Blessings in a Backpack can inspire any family-run business or organization that hopes to continue the founder's spirit and mission in the next generation.

Women Encourage Candor at Family Businesses A conversation orientation in the family carries over to the business -- especially for women, who are increasingly becoming vocal heroes.

Against the Odds, Women Can Still be Powerful Innovators When women have an opportunity to work with other women, they are able to overcome cultural gender biases and be innovative together, even in repressive cultures.

Women Show Their Strengths When Family Businesses are in Trouble Even in countries where men dominate, women proved to be innovators in times of crisis, a Honduras study showed.

Are Women the Superheroes of Family Businesses?

With Women Directors, Strategy Disclosure Decreases Cost of Capital at Family Businesses Family firms face higher borrowing costs than non-family firms if they disclose strategic information, but having women on their boards helps them narrow the gap.

Why Women CEOs Offer Family Businesses an Entrepreneurial Advantage Family firms, unlike non-family firms, value a learning-based path to entrepreneurship, which plays to women’s strengths.

Be Yourself: Advice For Women in Professional Services Businesses Women in finance and other businesses that sell advice can struggle in male-dominated cultures -- but they can flourish in their own businesses. These tips from financial advisors can help.

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Family Members Can be Valuable Mentors

The New Family Business Powerhouses: Wives and Moms

Becoming the Boss: Advice for Women in Family Businesses

AI in Family Business: Why Brain Capital Is Your Real Competitive Advantage

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Family Offices Are Booming—But Do They Actually Work?

by Patrik Hayoz, PhD, Bingbing Ge, and Alfredo De Massis / Research Insight

Research still can’t clearly explain when they deliver real value. A review shows what we know, what we don’t, and how families can close the needs-to-services gap. Read more...

What Nonfamily Managers Need From Family Firm Leaders

by Mat Hughes, Alfredo De Massis, Sascha Kraus, Qilin Hu, and Yi-Ying Chang / Research Insight

Vision matters—but so does individualized consideration. This study shows nonfamily managers perform better when CEOs pair transformational leadership with genuine, personalized attention and political skill. Read more...

How Families Can Re-Engage Reluctant Successors Without Pressure

by John Cater, Roland Kidwell, Megan Harper, and Marilyn Young / Research Insight

Successors recommit when roles align with their values, skills, and life stage—and when family dynamics allow earlier experiences to be reinterpreted. Read more...

How Families Shape Successor Motivation—and the Firm’s Long-Term Direction

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Family firms don’t have goals—people do. The rise and fall of Italy's Florio dynasty shows how successor motivation shapes the balance between growth, legacy, and community—and how families can build more durable, values-led leadership. Read more...

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