Category: Research Insight

Family Businesses: The Greener, the Better?

Climate change has made preserving the environment a critical issue for citizens, governments, and corporations. This is especially true at family businesses, where the family’s desire to Read more

Conventional wisdom tells us that having a long-term strategic focus on customer value creation and future market demands is a powerful source of building a sustainable competitive advantage in Read more

To Survive a Crisis, Re-Think Your Family’s Ties

As global crises are becoming increasingly frequent and unpredictable, family ties and family relationships—or what are collectively called “family social capital”—become critical for the Read more

Many entrepreneurs speak derisively about the act of sleeping, uttering phrases like, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” or “Sleep is for weaklings.” These statements imply that working on the Read more

New ventures needing investment often turn to crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, StartEngine, and Indiegogo to reach funders and generate exposure to angel investors, venture capitalists, Read more

Over My Dead Body: The Unseen Influence of Wives on Succession

Around the world, women have risen to the upper echelons of family businesses. But among women who are wives of the family business leader, even those involved in the business themselves, attitudes Read more

Does the Family Matter? Improving Executive Compensation Practices in Family Firms

The salaries of top executives can be a hot topic and a source of family business conflict and stress – at family businesses and non-family firms. How can family business leaders decide what’s Read more

Microsoft, Genentech and Southwest Airlines are all iconic companies that started off with a big disadvantage. All were founded during recessionary times: Microsoft in 1975; Genentech in 1976; and Read more

Women Can Help Family Firms Innovate – but Socioemotional Factors Matter

Around Europe and elsewhere, the number of women in leadership roles is going up, and they are having a measurable impact on innovation and profits. Many researchers have found that having more women Read more

Firm But Flexible Parents Raise the Best Family Business Leaders

In their aim to raise the next generation of family business leaders, parents often question if their parenting style is effective. They often ask themselves: Am I being too lenient or too strict? Am Read more