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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(3,781)
- People (12)
- News (1,351)
- Research (1,244)
- Events (6)
- Multimedia (57)
- Faculty Publications (670)
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- April 27, 2020
- Article
A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses
By: Josh Baron and Ben Francois
In a business crisis, the power of family business owners is magnified. Unlike public companies, which typically focus on maximizing shareholder value, family owners value objectives that usually go well beyond financial returns (e.g., family legacy, reputation). This... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Ben Francois. "A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 27, 2020).
- January 2001
- Background Note
Responsibilities & Rights of Family Shareholders of a Family Business
By: John A. Davis
Describes the major responsibilities and rights of family shareholders of a family owned business. View Details
Davis, John A. "Responsibilities & Rights of Family Shareholders of a Family Business." Harvard Business School Background Note 801-264, January 2001.
- July 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Background Note
Principles of Family Business System Change
By: John A. Davis
Identifies several practical principles to keep in mind when changing a family business system. View Details
Davis, John A. "Principles of Family Business System Change." Harvard Business School Background Note 806-011, July 2005. (Revised February 2007.)
- October 2022
- Case
An Heir with No Spare: The Deitch Family Office
By: Lauren Cohen and Grace Headinger
Joe and Matt Deitch, father and son, knew it was time to start their own family office. Matthew had recently joined his father at the family’s three enterprises, and they both realized that their family’s needs had grown increasingly complex over the years. In search... View Details
Keywords: Family Office; Philanthropy; Charitable Giving; Family; Family Business; Talent and Talent Management; Entrepreneurship; Governance; Values and Beliefs; Job Search; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Family Ownership; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Family and Family Relationships; Financial Services Industry; Real Estate Industry; Technology Industry; United States; Massachusetts; Boston; Florida; Miami
Cohen, Lauren, and Grace Headinger. "An Heir with No Spare: The Deitch Family Office." Harvard Business School Case 223-019, October 2022.
- July 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Exercise
Family Business System Action Planning Worksheet
By: John A. Davis
Assist in thinking critically about facilitators and inhibitors to goals and preparing for change in a family business system. View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Change Management; Goals and Objectives; Organizational Change and Adaptation
Davis, John A. "Family Business System Action Planning Worksheet." Harvard Business School Exercise 806-012, July 2005. (Revised February 2007.)
- April 2023
- Case
Burning the Sails to Save the Ship: The Pilati Family Dilemma
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Jiawei Ye and Grace Headinger
Octavian Graf Pilati, rising generation member of an Austrian princely family, prepared to sell the palace his family had held for over three hundred years. In recent years, the Pilati family lands had been leveraged as loan collateral for an international venture that... View Details
Keywords: Family Office; Family; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Agribusiness; Family Business; Property; Identity; Culture; Ethics; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Governance; Crisis Management; Family and Family Relationships; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Real Estate Industry; Austria
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, Jiawei Ye, and Grace Headinger. "Burning the Sails to Save the Ship: The Pilati Family Dilemma." Harvard Business School Case 223-081, April 2023.
- November 2023 (Revised January 2024)
- Case
Votorantim: Uniting Family and Business Across Generations
By: Christina R. Wing, Carla Larangeira and Pedro Levindo
Over a 105-year span, the Ermírio de Moraes family built Votorantim, one of Latin America’s largest industrial conglomerates, and among Brazil’s topmost businesses, also credited for helping “build” the country over decades. By early 2023, Votorantim included... View Details
Keywords: Corporate Governance; Family Ownership; Business and Shareholder Relations; Family and Family Relationships; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Chemical Industry; Mining Industry; Financial Services Industry; Latin America
Wing, Christina R., Carla Larangeira, and Pedro Levindo. "Votorantim: Uniting Family and Business Across Generations." Harvard Business School Case 624-050, November 2023. (Revised January 2024.)
- January–February 2021
- Article
Build a Family Business That Lasts
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
Judging from how they’re portrayed in the media, it would be easy to dismiss family businesses as hotbeds of power-playing, backstabbing, and favor-currying, ultimately destined to fail; think of the Murdochs and News Corp, or the Redstones and National Amusements, to... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Success; Ownership Type; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Succession
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Build a Family Business That Lasts." Harvard Business Review 99, no. 1 (January–February 2021): 112–121.
- August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Background Note
Fundamentals of Family Business System Governance
By: John A. Davis
Reviews the purposes and ingredients in the governance (or steering) of a family business system. Explores at a high level the governance of the family business, its owners, and the family. Focuses on how these governance structures, processes, plans, and agreements... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Family Ownership
Davis, John A. "Fundamentals of Family Business System Governance." Harvard Business School Background Note 807-019, August 2006. (Revised July 2007.)
- July 2001 (Revised September 2001)
- Background Note
Definitions and Typologies of the Family Business
By: John A. Davis
Introduces students to the wide variety of family business definitions in literature today. Also reviews prominent typologies of family business systems. View Details
Davis, John A. "Definitions and Typologies of the Family Business." Harvard Business School Background Note 802-007, July 2001. (Revised September 2001.)
- January 15, 2015
- Article
Surviving in a Family Business When You're Not Part of the Family
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
Navigating office politics in a family-owned business can be challenging for non-family executives. Based on experience with various business families worldwide, this article offers strategies for success:
Play in your room: Non-family executives should... View Details
Play in your room: Non-family executives should... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Family and Family Relationships; Employees; Problems and Challenges; Talent and Talent Management
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Surviving in a Family Business When You're Not Part of the Family." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 15, 2015).
- September 8, 2015
- Article
Making Better Decisions in Your Family Business
By: Josh Baron, Rob Lachenauer and Sebastian Ehrensberger
Family businesses face complex decisions, from CEO succession to business strategies. A "four-room" model helps structure decision-making in these businesses: Owner Room (ownership goals and board election), Board Room (performance monitoring and CEO appointment),... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Decisions; Business Strategy; Goals and Objectives; Management Succession; Talent and Talent Management
Baron, Josh, Rob Lachenauer, and Sebastian Ehrensberger. "Making Better Decisions in Your Family Business." Harvard Business Review (website) (September 8, 2015).
- October 2022 (Revised September 2024)
- Case
To SFO or Not To SFO: The Tolman Family Selects a Family Office Strategy
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Victoria Alvarez-Arango, Grace Headinger, Mili Sanwalka and Anna Yuan
Peter Tolman, a first-generation investment professional, debated which family office strategy to adopt for managing his family’s assets. As the sole steward of his family’s wealth, he sought to conserve and grow his family’s wealth for him, his wife, and his two very... View Details
Keywords: Family Office; Investment Strategy; Family Business; Financial Strategy; Investment; Strategy; Diversification; Management; Asset Management; Wealth; Financial Services Industry; United States; Canada
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, Victoria Alvarez-Arango, Grace Headinger, Mili Sanwalka, and Anna Yuan. "To SFO or Not To SFO: The Tolman Family Selects a Family Office Strategy." Harvard Business School Case 223-021, October 2022. (Revised September 2024.)
- September 2011 (Revised November 2011)
- Case
CP Group: Balancing the Needs of a Family Business with the Needs of a Family of Businesses
By: William C. Kirby and Tracy Yuen Manty
As a second generation business leader, Chairman Dhanin Chearavanont took over the family agribusiness company and built it to become a major diversified conglomerate in Thailand and expanded the business in SE Asia and China. While growing the business, he and his... View Details
Keywords: Agribusiness; Plant-Based Agribusiness; Family Business; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Conglomerates; Family Ownership; Growth and Development; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Thailand; China; Southeast Asia
Kirby, William C., and Tracy Yuen Manty. "CP Group: Balancing the Needs of a Family Business with the Needs of a Family of Businesses." Harvard Business School Case 312-059, September 2011. (Revised November 2011.)
- October 2005 (Revised February 2007)
- Background Note
Negotiating Your Entry into Your Family Business
By: John A. Davis
Provides guidance to junior generation members of a business family concerning negotiating their entry into their family's business. View Details
Keywords: Family Business
Davis, John A. "Negotiating Your Entry into Your Family Business." Harvard Business School Background Note 806-062, October 2005. (Revised February 2007.)
- August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Background Note
Governance of the Family Business Owners
By: John A. Davis
Reviews the principal ways in which the owners of a family business achieve their governance objectives of a suitable identity and sensible direction and the discipline to achieve these. Covers the responsibilities and rights of owners, plus governance procedures,... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Goals and Objectives; Family Ownership
Davis, John A. "Governance of the Family Business Owners." Harvard Business School Background Note 807-021, August 2006. (Revised July 2007.)
- December 6, 2013
- Article
Family Businesses Shouldn't Hunt for Superstar CEOs
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article discusses the challenges faced by family businesses when it comes to succession planning, particularly in selecting an outside CEO. It presents a case study of a third-generation family business looking for an external CEO, named "Mr. Wonderful," to manage... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Businesses Shouldn't Hunt for Superstar CEOs." Harvard Business Review (website) (December 6, 2013).
- June 2005 (Revised June 2007)
- Background Note
Introduction to Management of the Family Business
By: John A. Davis
Provides an overview to the content and structure of the Management of the Family Business course. View Details
Davis, John A. "Introduction to Management of the Family Business." Harvard Business School Background Note 805-155, June 2005. (Revised June 2007.)
- December 2001 (Revised March 2003)
- Case
Ben Fiorentino: Selling the Family Business
The caseescribes the challenges Ben Fiorentino, the second-generation head of a family-run equipment business, must deal with as he decides whether and how to sell the business. The business is encountering classic problems that confront family-owned firms: The third... View Details
Watkins, Michael D. "Ben Fiorentino: Selling the Family Business." Harvard Business School Case 902-052, December 2001. (Revised March 2003.)