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Show Results For
- All HBS Web
(4,729)
- People (13)
- News (1,666)
- Research (1,556)
- Events (8)
- Multimedia (69)
- Faculty Publications (967)
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- March 2012
- Case
The Agnellis and Fiat: Family Business Governance in a Crisis (A)
By: John A. Davis, Bernardo Bertoldi and Roberto Quaglia
After the death of Umberto Agnelli in 2004, the Agnelli family, led by John Elkann, needs to decide whether to keep Fiat CEO Giuseppe Morchio. The Fiat Group is in a delicate financial position, and John Elkann, the new family leader, is untested in this role. The... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Family Ownership; Management Teams; Leadership; Corporate Governance; Crisis Management; Auto Industry; Manufacturing Industry; Italy
Davis, John A., Bernardo Bertoldi, and Roberto Quaglia. "The Agnellis and Fiat: Family Business Governance in a Crisis (A)." Harvard Business School Case 812-128, March 2012.
- July 24, 2013
- Article
Family Business: How to Spot a Patriarch Problem
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
In this article, the authors discuss the concept of a "problem patriarch" in family businesses, using the example of Carl, a successful leader who undermined the talent he hired. Carl started a struggling $10 million automotive parts distributor and turned it into a $2... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Business: How to Spot a Patriarch Problem." Harvard Business Review (website) (July 24, 2013).
- 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).
- July 1999
- Background Note
Management Development Plan In A Family Business, The
By: John A. Davis
Defines management development objectives for family members employed in their family business. Outlines a process of putting these individuals on a career path to provide them with needed developmental experiences while respecting the broader needs of the... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Goals and Objectives; Management Practices and Processes; Organizations; Leadership Development; Experience and Expertise
Davis, John A. "Management Development Plan In A Family Business, The." Harvard Business School Background Note 800-009, July 1999.
- 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.
- January 2018 (Revised February 2018)
- Case
McKinnon Family Financial Planning
By: V.G. Narayanan and Shawn O'Brien
Narayanan, V.G., and Shawn O'Brien. "McKinnon Family Financial Planning." Harvard Business School Case 118-058, January 2018. (Revised February 2018.)
- 13 Aug 2014
- Lessons from the Classroom
Managing the Family Business: Entrepreneurs Needed for Long-Run Success
In the world of family business, the entrepreneurs we celebrate are usually founders of companies. These clever, hardworking individuals identify a good business opportunity, scrape together some money and... View Details
Keywords: by Michael J. Roberts
- March 2019
- Case
Dabur India: Growing Professional Management from Family Roots
By: Suraj Srinivasan, Namrata Arora and Jonah Goldberg
The case opens in December of 2018, with Sunil Duggal, the CEO of Dabur India (a multinational consumer goods conglomerate with a focus in Ayurvedic products) contemplating who should succeed him at the head of the company. The new CEO will have been the first since... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Management Succession; Multinational Firms and Management; Business Growth and Maturation
Srinivasan, Suraj, Namrata Arora, and Jonah Goldberg. "Dabur India: Growing Professional Management from Family Roots." Harvard Business School Case 119-089, March 2019.
- May 2018
- Article
Managing the Family Firm: Evidence from CEOs at Work
By: Oriana Bandiera, Renata Lemos, Andrea Prat and Raffaella Sadun
We present evidence on the labor supply of CEOs and on whether family and professional CEOs differ on this dimension. We do so through a new survey instrument that allows us to codify CEOs’ diaries in a detailed and comparable fashion and to build a bottom-up measure... View Details
Bandiera, Oriana, Renata Lemos, Andrea Prat, and Raffaella Sadun. "Managing the Family Firm: Evidence from CEOs at Work." Review of Financial Studies 31, no. 5 (May 2018): 1605–1653. (Lead article.)
- 21 Jan 2015
- Lessons from the Classroom
Managing the Family Business: Market Basket’s Lessons About Buyouts
relationships further. Often buyers and sellers develop hardened positions, and talks break down. All family ownership groups need to have a... View Details
Keywords: Retail
- February 2023
- Case
All Options on the Table: The Haber Family
By: Lauren Cohen, Grace Headinger and Juan Ruiz
Frida Jassan Haber, second-generation Chief Financial Officer of Haber Holdings, deliberated over the right family office solution for their family’s needs. After years of working with trusted private bankers, the family had decided to pursue other options that offered... View Details
Keywords: Latin America; Mexico; Family Business; Financial Institutions; Decision Making; Fashion Industry; Financial Services Industry; Latin America; Mexico
Cohen, Lauren, Grace Headinger, and Juan Ruiz. "All Options on the Table: The Haber Family." Harvard Business School Case 223-052, February 2023.
- March 2009 (Revised April 2011)
- Course Overview Note
Growing, Financing, and Managing Family and Closely Held Firms: Overview of the Course
By: Belen Villalonga
Most companies around the world are controlled by their founding families, including more than half of all public corporations in the U.S. and Europe and more than two thirds of those in Asia. These companies are the subject of the Financial Management of Family and... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Financial Management; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Family Ownership; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Valuation
Villalonga, Belen. "Growing, Financing, and Managing Family and Closely Held Firms: Overview of the Course". Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 209-137, March 2009. (Revised April 2011.)
- February 2009 (Revised April 2011)
- Course Overview Note
Growing, Financing, and Managing Family and Closely Held Firms
By: Belen Villalonga
This note provides instructors with an overview of the course, its module structure and its unifying framework. The note contains information that should only be available to instructors, and should not be distributed to students. A shorter version of the note for... View Details
Villalonga, Belen. "Growing, Financing, and Managing Family and Closely Held Firms." Harvard Business School Course Overview Note 209-006, February 2009. (Revised April 2011.)
- 22 Oct 2011
- Conference Presentation
Principles and Practices of Long-Term Family Success
By: John A. Davis
- December 3, 2014
- Article
Family Businesses Need One Person to Conquer and Another One to Rule
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article explores the different leadership styles needed in family businesses beyond the traditional "conqueror" archetype. While conquerors are growth-focused and hands-on, rulers are essential for managing complexity, focusing on governance, and addressing family... View Details
Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Businesses Need One Person to Conquer and Another One to Rule." Harvard Business Review (website) (December 3, 2014).
- 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).
- January 8, 2016
- Article
When You’ve Made Enough Money to Cause Family Tension
By: Josh Baron, Rob Lachenauer and Diane Coutu
This article discusses the transition successful business founders face when moving from intense business focus to managing significant wealth in their "Second Act." It highlights the shift towards creating a family enterprise, requiring shared financial... View Details
Keywords: Wealth; Family Business; Management Succession; Transition; Family and Family Relationships
Baron, Josh, Rob Lachenauer, and Diane Coutu. "When You’ve Made Enough Money to Cause Family Tension." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 8, 2016).
- July 2025
- Technical Note
Note for the Rising Generation of Family Enterprises
By: Christina R. Wing and Kara A. Perusse
This note explores how Rising Gens prepare for stewardship: what they must learn, how they can grow, and what tools can support their development. Drawing from diverse family enterprise contexts, it maps the stages of Rising Gen engagement and highlights what enables... View Details
- September 2020
- Case
Keeping It in the Family at the Hayden Saw Company
By: V.G. Narayanan and John Masko
In 2019, Board Chair and third-generation shareholder Helen Fullerton was preparing for a meeting to discuss Ohio-based Hayden Saw Company’s (Hayden) future as a family business. As the company entered its fifth decade, the Hayden family was dealing with three distinct... View Details
Keywords: Family Business; Corporate Governance; Family Ownership; Business and Shareholder Relations; Family and Family Relationships; Governing and Advisory Boards; Construction Industry; Ohio; United States
Narayanan, V.G., and John Masko. "Keeping It in the Family at the Hayden Saw Company." Harvard Business School Case 121-026, September 2020.
- 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.