Publications

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04 Apr 2012
Research & Ideas

When Founders Recruit Friends and Family as Investors

thoughtfully and purposefully. Every founder should read it—and take the time to digest its rich data and lessons." In this excerpt from Chapter 9, Wasserman discusses the advantages View Details

Keywords: by Noam Wasserman

February 1997 (Revised November 1997)
Case

An Entrepreneurial Family

Mark Vigianno is a driven entrepreneur who can't seem to work with subcontractors, many colleagues, and bosses. His wife Katrina gets caught up in Mark's ventures but seems unable to help him. Although ambitious, hard driving, and quality conscious, Mark keeps... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

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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

winter 1990
Article

The Impact of Family Dynamics on Structure and Process in Family Foundations

By: J. A. Davis, K. Gersick and I. Lansberg

Keywords: Family Ownership; Management Practices and Processes

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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

June 2017
Case

American Family Care

By: John Quelch and Leila Roumani

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

23 Apr 2001
Research & Ideas

The Gulf: It’s a Family Affair

professor and consultant. In these twenty-two-plus years in the field, in addition to the research and writing I have done, I have worked with families in business from over... View Details

Keywords: by Wendy Guild & Andrea Schulman

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

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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

Keywords: Family Business; Change Management; Organizational Change and Adaptation

09 Mar 2021
Cold Call Podcast

A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession

Keywords: Re: Christina R. Wing; Real Estate

30 Mar 2015
Research & Ideas

Managing the Family Business: Preparing to Sell

On important occasions, we gather for family portraits. If you were to take a picture of your family business today, what would it show? Family businesses represent the... View Details

Keywords: by Jonathan Pellegrin; Food & Beverage; Retail

1 Aug 1972
Conference Presentation

Communes, The Family and Sex Roles

By: R. M. Kanter

Keywords: Civil Society or Community; Family and Family Relationships; Gender

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

Keywords: Family Business; Management Succession

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October 1997
Background Note

Family Firms in the Newspaper Industry

Changes in newspaper publishing, specifically the introduction of new technology and concurrent changes in tax policy, which led to a consolidation of the industry are described. Also describes the transformation of family firms into public corporations in response to... View Details

Keywords: Business or Company Management; Family Business; Journalism and News Industry

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August 2022
Case

One Tiger Per Mountain: The He Family Office

By: Lauren Cohen, Fei Wu and Grace Headinger

Roy He, founder and majority shareholder of his family construction material production company, was preparing to pass down the family business through its first generational handover to his children. His decision would establish his familial legacy and set a precedent... View Details

Keywords: Governance Structure; Family Business; Family Ownership; Strategic Planning; Family and Family Relationships; Leadership; Construction Industry; Canton (city, China); Canton (province, China); China

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