Our Latest Articles
//March 17, 2025 - Issue #138
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Unrealistic depictions of the sacrifices and tradeoffs of family business leadership -- streamed repeatedly -- can color younger people’s attitudes towards taking the helm. Read more...
In Japan, family businesses are encouraged to help one another for the benefit of their shared customers and their community. It has helped them survive setbacks and thrive. Read more...
As Prince Andrew showed, one person’s behavior can become everyone’s problem. Families must set expectations, outline processes, and provide clarity before emotions take over. Read more...
As trillions in family-owned companies shift to next-generation leaders, one critical asset is being ignored: the brand. Here’s why brand value—often nearly 20% of enterprise worth—erodes during succession and how families can protect it. Read more...
Editorial offices located at St Thomas University
Supported by the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation