Publications

October 2019 (Revised July 2023)
Module Note

Demystifying the Family Enterprise: Module 3—The Family Office

By: Christina R. Wing, Charles Richards and Vicki Morton

25 Mar 2011
News

Family Firms Need Professional Management

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

Keywords: COVID-19 Pandemic; Crisis Management; Family Ownership; Family and Family Relationships

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15 Sep 2020
News

Lifting Fallen Families

just thinking about what was going to happen to that little girl and who was going to take care of her,” says David Kim (MBA 1994), a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point who was also a part of that unit. Gibbs and the family... View Details

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

March 2007 (Revised October 2007)
Module Note

Negotiating Effectively in Family Business Systems

By: Deepak Malhotra and John A. Davis

Explores how families in business can apply five principles of negotiation that are used effectively by non-family members. The distinctive characteristics of family relationships and of family business systems--which affect the use of these principles--are described. View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Negotiation; Family Ownership

17 Apr 2014
News

A Family Investment

gotten more involved with decision-making, I’ve appreciated HBS even more.” Inspired by a family history of giving back to society, primarily through supporting educational endeavors, Özyeg in continued the tradition by establishing the... View Details

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

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

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04 Aug 2021
Video

Bouchamaoui family business

01 Jun 2006
News

Managing Family Assets

Lucas Photo Courtesy Betsy Corsiglia For his first book, Stuart E. Lucas (MBA ’89) tackles a big topic. In Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It (Wharton School Publishing, 2006), the chairman of Wealth Strategist Network offers advice on managing and... View Details

Keywords: Lewis I. Rice; Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles; Finance; Management

June 2017
Case

American Family Care

By: John Quelch and Leila Roumani

02 Oct 2016
Blog Post

Peek Weekend: The Family Business Cohort

sporadically since then, starting with small tasks when I was younger and growing into larger roles like 2D and 3D design now that I’m a senior design student at the University of Cincinnati. With graduation in sight, I was contemplating long-term goals and how my... View Details

15 Feb 2007
Research & Ideas

Helping Low-Income Families Save More

Podcast with: Peter TufanoInterviewer: James AisnerRunning Time: 18 min., 55 sec. View Details

Keywords: by Jim Aisner; Banking; Financial Services

20 Nov 2019
News

Lifting Fallen Families

that unit. Gibbs and the family he left behind never strayed far from Kim’s mind as he returned home and pursued a career in private equity, first as principal at Butler Capital in New York and later as global co-head of investor... View Details

Keywords: Maureen Harmon

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Gulf: It’s a Family Affair

A conversation with John Davis, author of "Challenges Facing Family Companies in the Gulf Region" Family Business Review, vol XIII, no. 3, September 2000. Q: Where does View Details

Keywords: by Wendy Guild & Andrea Schulman

November 2004 (Revised September 2007)
Case

The Mitchell Family and Mitchells/Richards

By: Amy C. Edmondson, John A. Davis, Corey B. Hajim and Kelly Mulderry

Describes a small, luxury retail chain's operational sophistication achieved through the use of technology and "high-touch" customer service. A family-run business, Mitchells has built its success with a customer service strategy known internally as "hugging." The term... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Customer Relationship Management; Knowledge Management; Service Delivery; Organizational Culture; Expansion; Information Technology; Retail Industry

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