Category: Research Insight

Saoirse was intrigued with her launch customer’s request. They criticized some components of her firm’s product for 45 minutes – then asked if the same components could be made out of a Read more

Thicker Than Water: Balancing Individual Career Goals and the Family Business

With family-owned businesses accounting for a whopping share of the economy, the nature of family members’ individual career development in that sector is important and interesting. How indeed do Read more

Family Businesses: The Greener, the Better?

Climate change has made preserving the environment a critical issue for citizens, governments, and corporations. This is especially true at family businesses, where the family’s desire to Read more

Conventional wisdom tells us that having a long-term strategic focus on customer value creation and future market demands is a powerful source of building a sustainable competitive advantage in Read more

To Survive a Crisis, Re-Think Your Family’s Ties

As global crises are becoming increasingly frequent and unpredictable, family ties and family relationships—or what are collectively called “family social capital”—become critical for the Read more

Many entrepreneurs speak derisively about the act of sleeping, uttering phrases like, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead!” or “Sleep is for weaklings.” These statements imply that working on the Read more

New ventures needing investment often turn to crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter, StartEngine, and Indiegogo to reach funders and generate exposure to angel investors, venture capitalists, Read more

Over My Dead Body: The Unseen Influence of Wives on Succession

Around the world, women have risen to the upper echelons of family businesses. But among women who are wives of the family business leader, even those involved in the business themselves, attitudes Read more

Does the Family Matter? Improving Executive Compensation Practices in Family Firms

The salaries of top executives can be a hot topic and a source of family business conflict and stress – at family businesses and non-family firms. How can family business leaders decide what’s Read more

Microsoft, Genentech and Southwest Airlines are all iconic companies that started off with a big disadvantage. All were founded during recessionary times: Microsoft in 1975; Genentech in 1976; and Read more