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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(3,776)
- People (12)
- News (1,356)
- Research (1,237)
- Events (6)
- Multimedia (57)
- Faculty Publications (666)
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- June 2024
- Case
PRAN-RFL Group: A Diversified Family Business
By: Christina R. Wing, Paul Wuensche and Brittany L. Logan
The PRAN-RFL Group was founded in 1980 by Amjad Khan Chowdhury, and grew to become one of the largest conglomerates in Bangladesh in 2023. Throughout the years, Amjad established fast food chains, production manufacturing lines, retail stores, and his own foundation... View Details
Keywords: Business Conglomerates; Family Business; Management Succession; Family Ownership; Retirement; Bangladesh
Wing, Christina R., Paul Wuensche, and Brittany L. Logan. "PRAN-RFL Group: A Diversified Family Business." Harvard Business School Case 624-101, June 2024.
- 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.)
- 31 Jul 2017
- HBS Case
It’s Hard to Fix the Family Business Without Offending the Family
“It’s focused on a segment—and not an insignificant one—that is a big driver of the economy.” Related Reading: Managing the Family Business: Entrepreneurs Needed for Long-Run Success Five Steps to Better View Details
- 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.)
- May 11, 2020
- Article
Steer Your Family Businesses Through an Unplanned Transition
By: Josh Baron and Nick Di Loreto
In a perfect world, family businesses will transition leadership from one generation to the next along a predictable and well-planned process — whether that’s determined within the business, the ownership group, or the family itself — passing the baton after years of... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Nick Di Loreto. "Steer Your Family Businesses Through an Unplanned Transition." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 11, 2020).
- February 20, 2014
- Article
How to Thrive While Leading a Family Business
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article explores the differences between family business executives who thrive and those who struggle. It discusses how family business environments are inherently complex due to the intertwinement of work and life. Thriving leaders exhibit four key behaviors:... View Details
Keywords: Family and Family Relationships; Work-Life Balance; Family Ownership; Outcome or Result; Leadership Style
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "How to Thrive While Leading a Family Business." Harvard Business Review (website) (February 20, 2014).
- February 1995
- Case
The Ivanovas: A Family Business
By: Ray A. Goldberg, Ralph Hoagland and Marina Paltseva
Keywords: Family Business
Goldberg, Ray A., Ralph Hoagland, and Marina Paltseva. "The Ivanovas: A Family Business." Harvard Business School Case 595-086, February 1995.
- April 2025
- Case
Pouring Oil on Troubled Waters: Vickers Oils and Resolving Family Conflict over Generations
By: Lauren Cohen, Octavian Graf Pilati and Sophia Pan
Will Vickers, a seventh-generation (G7) member of the Vickers Family, grappled with a pressing challenge: how to re-integrate family members into the firm to recover lost talent. His father, Peter Vickers, was the lone leader of the Vickers Oils—despite having stepped... View Details
Keywords: Shareholder; Involvement; Family Office; Family Firms; Family Business; Business Growth and Maturation; Experience and Expertise; Retention; Leadership Development; Business or Company Management; Management Succession; Organizational Structure; Family Ownership; Family and Family Relationships; Diversification; Conflict and Resolution; Consumer Products Industry; United Kingdom
Cohen, Lauren, Octavian Graf Pilati, and Sophia Pan. "Pouring Oil on Troubled Waters: Vickers Oils and Resolving Family Conflict over Generations." Harvard Business School Case 225-083, April 2025.
- March 18, 2014
- Article
Family Businesses Must Set the Agenda (Without Micromanaging)
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article discusses the role of owners in family businesses, using the story of Charles, who transformed his family's shipping business by taking ownership decisions. The article highlights that owners have the power to set goals, define performance metrics, hire... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Businesses Must Set the Agenda (Without Micromanaging)." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 18, 2014).
- 09 Mar 2021
- Cold Call Podcast
A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession
- March 19, 2015
- Article
Dealing with the Unique Work-Life Challenges of Family Businesses
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
Maintaining a work-life balance in family businesses can be challenging. The extremes of being "all in" or "all out" are unproductive. The article highlights the importance of setting boundaries, separating family time from work time, using effective communication,... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Dealing with the Unique Work-Life Challenges of Family Businesses." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 19, 2015).
- September 2022
- Case
ROI vs. ROI: The Grupo Baobá Family Office
By: Lauren Cohen, Hao Gao, Jiawei Ye and Grace Headinger
Fernando Scodro, a third-generation member of his family, mulled over the next step in integrating an ESG strategy into his family office’s investment portfolio. While his family office, Grupo Baobá, had made excellent progress in incorporating his family’s values into... View Details
Keywords: Impact Investing; ESG; Green Building; Family; Partnership; Latin America; Brazil; Buildings and Facilities; Green Buildings; Family Business; Family and Family Relationships; Financial Management; Partners and Partnerships; Financial Services Industry; Brazil; Latin America
Cohen, Lauren, Hao Gao, Jiawei Ye, and Grace Headinger. "ROI vs. ROI: The Grupo Baobá Family Office." Harvard Business School Case 223-018, September 2022.
- 24 May 2006
- Conference Presentation
Lessons from Successful Family Business Dynasties
By: John A. Davis
- July 19, 2021
- Article
Do Most Family Businesses Really Fail by the Third Generation?
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
Perhaps the most commonly-cited statistic about family businesses is their failure rates. Most articles or speeches about family businesses start with some version of the “three-generation rule,” which suggests that most don’t survive beyond three generations. But that... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Do Most Family Businesses Really Fail by the Third Generation?" Harvard Business Review (website) (July 19, 2021).
- 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
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Banyan Family Business Advisors On The Keys to Long-Term Resilience." Family Wealth Report (October 23, 2013).
- February 3, 2020
- Article
Should Your Family Business Have a "No In-Laws" Policy?
By: Christina R. Wing and Rohit K. Gera
Should in-laws, even if they’re highly qualified, work in the family business? While there’s no “one-size-fits-all” guideline, if you are considering involving in-laws in the family business, it’s important to think through some general policies in advance. Document a... View Details
Keywords: Family and Family Relationships; Family Business; Employee Relationship Management; Organizational Structure
Wing, Christina R., and Rohit K. Gera. Should Your Family Business Have a "No In-Laws" Policy? Harvard Business Review (website) (February 3, 2020).
- November 2015 (Revised October 2017)
- Case
Dollar General Bids for Family Dollar
By: Jonas Heese, Paula A. Price, Suraj Srinivasan and David Lane
In spring 2015, Dollar General's CEO Rick Dreiling was looking ahead to retiring at year's end but worried about ensuring continued growth for the company he had built since 2008 into a market leader in the U.S. discount retail world. Dollar General operated over... View Details
Keywords: Dollar General; Family Dollar; Dollar Tree; Antitrust; Board Of Directors; Activist Investors; Federal Trade Commission; Acquisition; Valuation; Corporate Strategy; Retail Industry; United States
Heese, Jonas, Paula A. Price, Suraj Srinivasan, and David Lane. "Dollar General Bids for Family Dollar." Harvard Business School Case 116-007, November 2015. (Revised October 2017.)
- July 9, 2013
- Article
Why Fights Erupt in Family Businesses
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
Lack of boundaries and formal structure create potential for nasty (and lasting) disagreements. View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Why Fights Erupt in Family Businesses." Harvard Business Review (website) (July 9, 2013).
- August 2007
- Background Note
Assessing and Enhancing Individual Power in the Family Business System
By: John A. Davis
Describes how to asses and enhance an individual's bases, sources, and levels of power in a family business system. Relies on Franch and Raven's framework that identifies five bases of social power (reward, coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert), describing how... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Family and Family Relationships; Situation or Environment; Power and Influence
Davis, John A. "Assessing and Enhancing Individual Power in the Family Business System." Harvard Business School Background Note 808-026, August 2007.
- October 2018
- Case
American Family Insurance and the Artificial Intelligence Opportunity
By: Rajiv Lal and Scott Johnson
Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Automation; Analytics; American Family; American Family Insurance; Insurance; Business Organization; Transformation; Talent and Talent Management; Employee Relationship Management; Innovation Strategy; Job Cuts and Outsourcing; Risk and Uncertainty; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Technology Adoption; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Corporate Strategy; AI and Machine Learning; Digital Transformation; Insurance Industry; Technology Industry; Wisconsin