Publications

11 Jun 2024

CNCT Congressional Graduate School Fair – Washington, DC

Congressional staff and friends will have the opportunity to learn about the graduate school admissions process and chat with an HBS admissions officer at our booth. View Details

January 1978
Article

Families, Family Processes, and Economic Life

By: R. M. Kanter

Keywords: Family and Family Relationships

Find at Harvard

November 2020
Case

The 1,000-Year Plan: Lee Kum Kee and Sustaining a Family Culture

By: Lauren Cohen, Dawn H. Lau and Billy Chan

The Lee family, whose Hong Kong-based Lee Kum Kee company has established itself as a legend within the Chinese and Asian sauce world, sets out to create a daring new vision of what family legacy means. With the family business having been established in 1888, and by... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Mission and Purpose; Values and Beliefs; Business and Community Relations; Organizational Structure; Strategic Planning

August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
Background Note

Governance of the Business Family

By: John A. Davis

Explains the purposes, processes, standards, plans, and agreements that together help to govern (or steer) a family that owns a family business. View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Family Ownership

March 12, 2024
Editorial

Best Practices for Family Philanthropy

By: Christina R. Wing

Philanthropy is a key priority for many families, but when sitting down and considering where to start, the vast options can be overwhelming. Social impact is not supposed to be a chore, but rather something you and your family can appreciate and look forward to... View Details

Keywords: Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Social Enterprise; Family Business; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact

19 Nov 2014
News

Helping family businesses succeed and thrive

For more than 25 years, Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien (MBA 1954) and his family foundation have been enabling others learn how to manage successful family-run businesses. (Published November 2014) View Details

August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
Background Note

Governance of the Family Business

By: John A. Davis

Reviews the ways to achieve governance of the family business. Points out the importance of plans (e.g., strategic plans), statements (e.g., mission statements), policies, rules, and agreements to the governance process. Discusses the roles of three structures in... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Mission and Purpose

07 Apr 2014
News

Family Values

married for 40 years, and two of their sons graduated from HBS (William C., MBA 2002, and Terence, MBA 2013). The Margot and William F. Connell View Details

09 Apr 2019
News

How Amazon is both friend and foe to small business

13 Jul 2017
News

Making Friends with Mother Nature

been in his family for more than a century. He huddled with locals about the idea, then helped to convene a group of motivated backers, who ultimately raised $500,000 with one fundraising letter. He later agreed to be the project’s... View Details

Keywords: Ralph Ranalli

09 Mar 2021
News

A Family Business at a Crossroads: Scaling and Succession

October 1993
Article

Family Capitalism

By: G. Jones and Mary B. Rose

Keywords: Economic Systems; Family and Family Relationships

Find at Harvard

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

04 Aug 2014
News

Market Basket Shows the Best and Worst of Family Business

2009
Working Paper

Do Friends Influence Purchases in a Social Network?

By: Raghuram Iyengar, Sangman Han and Sunil Gupta

Social networks, such as Facebook and Myspace have witnessed a rapid growth in their membership. Some of these businesses have tried an advertising-based model with very limited success. However, these businesses have not fully explored the power of their members to... View Details

Keywords: Marketing; Network Effects; Sales; Power and Influence; Social and Collaborative Networks; Web Sites; South Korea

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Research Summary

Family, Inc. Historical Development of German and US Family Firm

Family-owned businesses are the most common form of business organization worldwide. This project deals with the main characteristics of closely-held ownership and more precisely families as majority owners. It strives for an international comparison of family firms... View Details

October 2023
Technical Note

Governance for the Family Enterprise

By: Christina R. Wing and Vicki Morton

Governance stands as the backbone of any successful organization, providing the structure, transparency, and accountability necessary to guide decisions, ensure efficiency and foster sustainable growth. Its significance takes on a heightened dimension within family... View Details

Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Family Ownership; Business Growth and Maturation