SEARCH RESULTS

Using Family History for Competitive Advantage

Family businesses often have dense histories interweaving both the family and the business and involving more than just the past. Our recent study (Ge, De Massis & Kotlar, 2022), shows that Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Bingbing Ge , Alfredo De Massis and Josip Kotlar

Abundant Marketing Resources Can Hinder Family Firm Innovation

Most people would agree that businesses benefit from three core marketing resources: strong market knowledge, great relationships with customers and suppliers, and a sterling public image, brand, and Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Qilin Hu , Mat Hughes and Paul Hughes

Family Firms: How Much Cash is Enough?

For years, corporate governance scholars and activists have assumed that cash-rich companies are less vigorous about using resources, leading to the loss of shareholder value. In line with this view, Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Yuliya Ponomareva , Domenico Cambrea , Daniel Pittino and Alessandro Minichilli

Millennials Can Help Family Firms Expand, If Led by Their Peers

Millennials, those born between the end of the ‘70s and the beginning of the new millennium, are accustomed to the limitless possibilities of the online world, where local or even country borders Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Alessandro Cirillo , Barbara Maggi , Salvatore Sciascia , Valentina Lazzarotti and Federico Visconti

Sinking ship? How one family firm sailed through several crises

By Tanja Leppäaho, Paavo Ritala and Mat Hughes In our personal lives, sometimes it takes a crisis – an illness, divorce, job loss or another challenge – to get us to change long-held Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Author: Mat Hughes

A Family Firm Can Be Both an Innovator and a Great Place to Work

Photo Courtesy of Carl Schlenk AG To thrive, family firms need to cultivate loyal, long-term employees, as they ensure a stable and reliable business. At the same time, family firms need to encourage Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Emanuela Rondi , Ruth Überbacher , Leopold von Schlenk-Barnsdorf , Alfredo De Massis and Marcel Hülsbeck

For New Research Insights, Study One Family in Depth

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is adapted from the authors’ contributions to a forthcoming book,The Field Guide to Family Business Research, edited by Keith Brigham and G. Tyge Payne. Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Lori Tribble Trudell , Theodore L. Waldron and James C Wetherbe

She Always Gives Her All to the Family Firm -- but He Follows the Leader

It’s been proven that dedicated employees who go above and beyond what the job specifies help their companies be more efficient and keep customers happy. Other research has shown that leaders can Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Authors: Kimberly Eddleston and Kristen Madison

To Encourage Innovation, Tap the Next Generation of Leaders

In these times of change and uncertainty, one thing is still certain: product-service innovation remains the lifeblood of family firms. Without innovating, pioneering competitors will make existing Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Author: Mat Hughes

Succession: Don't Assume Your First-Born is the Anointed One

Succession is a defining moment in all family businesses, and making the right choice about who is going to be the next CEO can be critical to survival. Tradition, previous choices, and Read More...

Category: Research Insight

Author: Andrea Calabrò