family - Publications - Faculty & Research

October 23, 2013
Article

Banyan Family Business Advisors On The Keys to Long-Term Resilience

By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer

Family businesses have been found to excel in resilience during economic downturns compared to publicly-traded ones. This is attributed to their focus on resilience over performance. Key qualities of resilient family firms include managing low debt, practicing... View Details

Keywords: Performance Consistency; Economic Slowdown and Stagnation; Family Ownership; Family Business; Values and Beliefs; Business Strategy

Citation

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27 Feb 2025
News

Scaling a Family Business to Build Multigenerational Success

February 2014
Teaching Note

Advising Families on Estate Planning

By: Robert C. Pozen

Sean Warrick is an estate planning adviser at Hellwig & Macon. He is preparing for meetings with two clients. His first clients are Peggy and David Bartley, a professional married couple of moderate wealth. His second clients are Ray and Michelle Polanski, a couple... View Details

Keywords: Estate Planning; Estate Tax; Gift Tax; Gift Giving; Generation Skipping Tax; Tax Accounting; Tax Strategy; Taxes; Taxation; Retirement; Financial Services Industry; United States

Citation

January 2014 (Revised June 2014)
Case

Advising Families on Estate Planning

By: Robert C. Pozen and Lucas W. Goodman

Sean Warrick is an estate planning adviser at Hellwig & Macon. He is preparing for meetings with two clients. His first clients are Peggy and David Bartley, a professional married couple of moderate wealth. His second clients are Ray and Michelle Polanski, a couple... View Details

Keywords: Estate Planning; Estate Tax; Gift Tax; Generation Skipping Tax; Tax Accounting; Tax Strategy; Taxes; Taxation; Retirement; United States

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January 1988 (Revised June 1989)
Background Note

IBM and DEC Family Trees

Citation

Find at Harvard

08 Apr 2011
News

Investing in the Family Brand

Keywords: Real Estate

August 1997 (Revised November 1997)
Background Note

Performance Evaluation of Family Members

By: John A. Davis

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03 Aug 2008
News

Wait to Work for Family

22 Aug 2016
Blog Post

Section Life: Your HBS Family

Before I arrived at HBS, I had heard a lot about sections and how they really impacted people’s experiences as students here. People who graduated decades earlier told me how they still stay in touch with their section mates and how grateful they were for the community... View Details

25 Jan 2024
Video

Partners and Families at HBS

July 2024 (Revised March 2025)
Technical Note

Note on Working with Relatives in the Family Enterprise

By: Christina R. Wing and Hillary B Sieber

This note delves into the intricacies of working with relatives, offering insights and strategic recommendations for navigating the opportunities and complexities inherent in such environments. This note will cover common challenges, best practices and key governance... View Details

Keywords: Family and Family Relationships; Governance Controls; Family Business; Business or Company Management

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15 May 2015
News

Families Find the Principles That Keep the Business Going

December 1996
Case

Family Assistance Plan, The (A)

By: Bruce R. Scott and Paul Bastone

Keywords: Welfare or Wellbeing

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21 Jun 2016
News

Rescuing Families from ISIS-Led Genocide

In August, 2014, a horrific ISIS attack on Yazidi towns in Northern Iraq created a humanitarian crisis that Canadian executive Michel Aziza (MBA 1991) couldn’t ignore. “This is the latest chapter in a long history of persecution for the Yazidis,” explains Aziza, who... View Details