Our Latest Articles

February 17, 2025 - Issue #135

Men and Women Cling to Power for Different Reasons While male leaders often view stepping down as a threat to their identity and accomplishments, female leaders appear to be motivated by other factors.

How Family Businesses Can Recruit the Best C-Suite Candidates Family-owned businesses often struggle to compete with non-family firms when it comes to recruitment, and understanding the expectations of job seekers is crucial to attract the best talent.

Announcing FamilyBusiness.org's 2023-24 Schulze Award Winners Our newest group of winners — who published articles during the academic year of July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 — represent a diverse range of insights.

Craft Ventures are More Successful With a Couple at the Helm Family firms take note: A study of chocolate makers showed that shared values, commitment, and a long-term outlook are good for both relationships and business.

Justifiable Pride or Arrogance? It Matters for Family Businesses Bragging about your family connection is universally bad, but even pride in your accomplishments must be displayed carefully -- especially in eastern cultures.

The Psychology of Effective Exit Planning: A Guide for Families and Advisors Family firms can help the next generation move forward by understanding and supporting the emotional aspects of the exit for the current leader.

‘SOBs’: The Real Power in Family Businesses Saviors Of the Boss have the trust of company leaders and often serve as their gatekeepers. How to understand them and work with them.

The Perks and Pitfalls of Hiring Your Parents Allen Esrock of NxtGen Nexus weights in on how to optimize the free labor and other benefits, and how to manage conflicting goals, sibling resentment, and suspicious non-relatives who work for you.

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Will Your Family Brand Survive New Leadership?

From 'Passing Down' to 'Building Up': Rethinking Values in Family Firms

Families Can Overcome Generational Conflicts Over Technology

Ready to Lead: Building Confidence Across Generations

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Your Investment Strategy Should Reflect Your Family Values and Goals

by Claudia Binz Astrachan, Anneleen Michiels, Massimo Baù, and Chris Graves / Practice Insight

A family investment policy defines how a family manages its collective financial assets in alignment with its shared values, goals, and risk preferences. Read more...

Define Your Legacy, and Strengthen Your Business and Your Impact

by Matthew Fox, Kimberly Wade-Benzoni, and Jeffrey Covin / Research Insight

Unless you clearly define what you want your legacy to be, your successors will interpret it in their own way -- and it might not be what you intended. Read more...

The World is Changing Faster Than Your Strategy

by Torsten Pieper, Claudia Binz Astrachan, Francesco Chirico, and Annika Ehlers / Research Insight

Families that learn to use their cohesion, trust, and long-term orientation as strengths can implement strategies more effectively than their non-family peers, especially in times of uncertainty. Read more...

Listening to the Family: The Strategic Value of Surveys

by Claudia Binz Astrachan / Practice Insight

Surveys can reveal differing perspectives, surface hidden tensions, and – when done well – build trust, and serve as an educational opportunity. Read more...

by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar

Let the Next Generation of Family Firm Leaders Chart Their Own Path

by Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander

Here Are the Next Gen's Biggest Worries

by Kimberly Eddleston

How Three Women Upheld Family Values and Thrived Despite Adversity

by Boyka Simeonova and Mat Hughes

How to Plan for a Successful Succession

by Richard Eisenberg

A Charismatic Family Business Founder Can Be a Tough Act to Follow

by Kimberly Eddleston