Our Latest Articles

March 17, 2025 - Issue #138

Family Firms Prosper When Shareholders Think Like Trustees Family Firms Prosper When Shareholders Think Like Trustees A trustee mentality helps make large families with many shareholders more cohesive, and preserves wealth for generations.
Generational Experiences Shape Family Business Leaders' Priorities Generational Experiences Shape Family Business Leaders' Priorities Beliefs about success, responsibility, and value creation reflect the time and place in which business owners grew up. Religion and strong family ties magnified the impact.
Brett Smith

Editor's Pick

Brett Smith

Fr. Greg Boyle on compassion and kinship

Social entrepreneurs are often motivated to action by a regard for others. In this Tedx talk, Fr. Greg Boyle explains how the motivations of compassion and kinship play out in his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang member intervention and job-training program in Los Angeles. Boyle explains the critical roles of compassion and kinship in the development of social value.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipR0kWt1Fkc
The Psychology of Effective Exit Planning: A Guide for Families and Advisors 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.
Outsource or Hire? Advice for Family Businesses Outsource or Hire? Advice for Family Businesses Ben Berger and Ron Nahass of RSM talk about the benefits of letting outside contractors handle critical business functions.
How CSR Shapes the Power of Family Business Branding How CSR Shapes the Power of Family Business Branding Being family-owned or socially responsible endears a business to consumers. Having both attributes mutes the impact of family ownership, and requires a different branding strategy.
Family Businesses Have a Massive Impact on the UK Economy Family Businesses Have a Massive Impact on the UK Economy A new report by the Family Business Research Foundation and the Centre for Economics and Business Research shows families control 93 percent of UK firms.
Senior Leaders: Prepare Early to Let Go of the Business Senior Leaders: Prepare Early to Let Go of the Business A handover often marks the end of life as the leader knows it and the start of a new and unfamiliar phase. A grieving process is not uncommon.
'Gainsharing' Motivates Employees to Grow Profits 'Gainsharing' Motivates Employees to Grow Profits Like profit sharing, it aligns company objectives and employee interests, but with more frequent rewards and a focus on operational improvements rather than company profits.
Search & Save Enter search below to create an easy reading list
Recent
5 Practical Tips for Making Business Decisions With Family Members
by Rostyslav Vovk / Commentary

Running a family business doesn’t mean always seeing eye to eye, but you can still overcome challenges, resolve conflicts, and evolve as a team. Read more...

A New Way to Resolve Extreme Conflict in Family Businesses
by Doug Baumoel and Blair Trippe / Applied and Practice

Family members may feel “trapped” in conflicts, unable to resolve substantive issues without damaging their familial relationships. This often leads to disputes that persist for decades.  Read more...

Merging With Another Family Firm is Safer and Smarter
by Francesco Chirico, Robert E Hoskisson, Seemantini Pathak, and Massimo Baù / Research Insight

Family business mergers enjoy greater harmony and better financial performance than mergers involving non-family firms. Read more...

Unready and Unadvised: The Silent Crisis in Family Wealth Transfer
by Srbuhi Avetisyan / Practice Insight

A study of 13,500 family firms shows that nearly half of heirs don’t know where the assets are -- and 3 in 5 wouldn’t know what to do if the founder died suddenly. Read more...

Trending
Consumers Love Local Brands. That's Good News For Family Businesses
by Philipp Jaufenthaler, Andreas Kallmuenzer, Sascha Kraus, and Alfredo De Massis
How Family Dynamics Shape Family Businesses
by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan
When Family Businesses Should Think Like Private Equity Firms
by Nadine Kammerlander and David Hoeflmayr
Editorial offices located at St Thomas University

Editorial offices located at St Thomas University

Popular
Business Families Must Get Real About Growth and Payouts
by Joseph Astrachan and George Manners
Turbulence Ahead: How Businesses Can Navigate Tariffs and Uncertainty
by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan
How Family Businesses Survive Unexpected ‘Wild Cards’
by Wojciech Czakon, Monika Hajdas, and Joanna Radomska
Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation

Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation