Family Business Research Reports
Growth Trends and Challenges
In a family business, the founding families are a unique type of shareholder: They hold concentrated portfolios, are long-term investors, and are often in control of senior management positions. Therefore families are in an excellent position to exert their influence and control over the firm. Consequently, they often maintain a longterm presence in their firms. For example, the DuPont family has held a significant equity stake of at least 15 % for over 200 years inthe firm bearing its name.
Feb 2007
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Control, Governance and Performance
This can give rise to new challenges, for example, how to balance the interests of the dominating family with those of outside shareholders. Another pressing issue for family firms is how they can globalise their operations to achieve the necessary economies of scale and scope. In this report we aim to examine theseissues, highlight the main market trends and demonstrate how selected large family firms have dealt with these pressures.
Jan 2008
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Engaging the Next Generation in Family Philanthropy
While grantmaking as a family can take as many different forms as families can themselves, models for family philanthropy do fall broadly into three categories. The family foundation model enables families to create a formal structure for their grantmaking, in which a board made up principally of family members will oversee the activities of a philanthropic foundation. In the family business model, a family will carry out its grantmaking through the corporate foundation or corporate philanthropy program of a family business. The final category brings together other models for family philanthropy, including the creation of a family fund at a community foundation and a host of more informal activities, such as family giving initiatives organized around the kitchen table. In these latter initiatives, younger generations are often invited to take the first steps towards learning about their families’ philanthropy, in preparation for deciding if they want to become more deeply engaged in the future.
Sep 2009
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Managing Change Processes in Family Businesses
In family businesses – in addition to managing changes in the business sufficiently in advance – family heads and members must also plan for the development over time of the relationship between the owner family and the business. In order to plan for this development successfully, they must consider the fact that families differ according to structure (number, age and marital status of family members) and according to qualitative aspects of the individualsinvolved (health, education, maturity levels and expectations). Situations can also differ in terms of type of business and certain external factors. In particular, the following are significant: the cultural concept of the extended family in the region, since this influences the family’s boundaries and the types of relationships between the various family members; and the legal context since this affects the determination of the company’s by-laws, controlling company structures and the succession process.
Sep 2009
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Entrepreneurial Management
The term “entrepreneur” derives from French. Richard Cantillon introduced it to economic literature in 1755 to identify those who took responsibility for initiating and developing a project, often a military or a religious building. Joseph Schumpeter is often remembered in the context of entrepreneurship as the first economist to formally address the need for companies to renew themselves through innovation. It is inevitable that customers and competitors will evolve in a way that leaves certain areas of the company without a future. Good management implies eliminating these areas and replacing them with new ones that have growth potential. Schumpeter viewed entrepreneurship as this process of continuous reinvention based on innovation.
March 2010
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Family Business International Monitor
As part of FBN International’s commitment to promoting family business, this report summarises the key findings from the 2007 Pilot Family Business Monitor. By using a clear definition of family business the Pilot Monitor has been able to focus tightly on family businesses. It has revealed a picture that will help the policy maker to understand the framework in which family businesses operate as well as families in their advocacy effort.
04 Sep 2008
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Perspectives on Responsible Ownership
As part of our mission to support the success and sustainability of family firms, FBN International aims to encourage the development of research and the formation of new ideas to help family businesses find and stay on the path to continuing growth and development. At the heart of stewardship, which spans generations, lies the concept of “responsible ownership” along with the burden that this places on our shoulders, and the great opportunities that we can grasp.
The aim of this publication has been to collect and consolidate research commissioned
by FBN and its chapters with other source materials into a digestible review of the
topic. In consequence, current thinking is presented in a less academic way than in
the research publications, and with a more practical emphasis. I commend this short
booklet to your families.
Hans-Jacob Bonnier Chairman, FBN International
17 Dec 2008
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Overview of Family Business Relevant Issues (2009)
A report conducted on behalf of the European Commission, Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General. by Austrian Institute for SME Research.
23 Feb 2009
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