Our Latest Articles

September 18, 2023 - Issue #97

Will Your In-Laws Help or Hurt Your Family Business? Will Your In-Laws Help or Hurt Your Family Business? As the Gucci and royal families show, in-laws can complicate things. Here's how family businesses can benefit from their perspectives and minimize conflict.
Why Family Businesses Must Mind the (Generation) Gap Why Family Businesses Must Mind the (Generation) Gap Older leaders should be curious about how next-gens view the world, and younger leaders-to-be should have patience with their elders and honor what they've created.
What If a Hedge Fund Invests in my Family Business? What If a Hedge Fund Invests in my Family Business? At many publicly traded firms, the presence of activist investors forces them to innovate. This didn't hold true at the family businesses we studied.
Founders: Let Next-Gens be Entrepreneurial Founders: Let Next-Gens be Entrepreneurial Rania Labaki, a professor at the EDHEC Business School in France and director of its Family Business Center, says that founders must allow their future leaders to have an entrepreneurial spirit.
Attract and Retain the Best People As You Grow Attract and Retain the Best People As You Grow Small firms growing into midsized need a new approach to talent. Give current employees the skills they need to help you grow, and make your firm a desirable place to work.
The Paradox of Choice: Wealth's Impact on Family Potential The Paradox of Choice: Wealth's Impact on Family Potential We tend to think that opportunity serves only to increase available choices. But when we think more broadly, it’s not hard to see how increased opportunity can also limit choice.
Small and Medium-Sized Firms Are Less Prepared for Crises Small and Medium-Sized Firms Are Less Prepared for Crises Research found that they often lack the resources to assess their risk and plan for the worst -- putting their financial health at risk when disaster strikes.
Kimberly Eddleston What to Do When It's Your Turn to Lead Kimberly Eddleston

Your relatives spent years, maybe decades, building a business, and now it's your turn to take over. Fear and self-doubt are normal. Here's how to take over the reins with confidence.

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Fair Does Not Always Mean Equal: Ownership Decisions in Family Business
by Claudia Binz Astrachan, Lindsay Hardie, and Joseph Astrachan / Practice Insight

Families often struggle to decide whether shares should be divided equally among children or reflect leadership, sacrifice, and “sweat equity.” Read more...

Can a Family Stay a Business Family After Selling the Business?
by Clemens Krüger, Christian-Titus Klaiber, and Reinhard Prügl / Research Insight

A study of German family firms shows that regular, meaningful contact between the family office and the family can preserve shared purpose after an exit. Read more...

Strong Family Businesses Think Short Term and Long Term at the Same Time
by Vanessa Diaz Moriana, Eric Clinton, Catherine Faherty, and Colm O'Gorman / Research Insight

In a crisis, family firms cannot afford to focus only on immediate survival or future legacy. The most resilient ones do both, drawing on past lessons, trusted relationships, and long-standing networks. Read more...

Helping Daughters Become Successful Family Business Leaders
by Simon Caspary and Tom Rüsen / Applied and Practice

Daughters can become strong and credible successors when families involve them early, clarify authority, support professional development, and make room for new models of leadership. Read more...

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Things to Consider When Transferring Family Business Ownership
by Susan Lanz, Gary Burke, Kajsa Haag, and Omid Omidvar
How Family Dynamics Shape Family Businesses
by Joseph Astrachan and Claudia Binz Astrachan
Editorial offices located at St Thomas University

Editorial offices located at St Thomas University