Family Businesses in Germany: Significance and Structure

2000 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine B. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
German Economy ◽  
Supervisory Board ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Clear Definition ◽  
Or Management ◽  
Management Board ◽  
German Family ◽  
Definition Of

This paper shows the relevance of family businesses to the German economy and their structure with respect to ownership, governance, and management. The data show that ownership, rather than governance or management, is the key to differentiating family from nonfamily businesses. As governance and management are more complementary to each other, families in German family businesses seek influence either through family members on the supervisory board or on the management board. The empirical data from this study is based on a clear definition of family business and a random sample, and it provides the basis for further investigation into German family businesses.

What Is Continuity?

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Drozdow
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
The Family ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Unique Core

This article examines and expands the concept of continuity and asserts that family businesses and consultants retain a unidimensional definition of continuity in which success is attained only when family and business remain together. It suggests that this thinking is stale—muddied by an idealized version of the family business—and argues that continuity should be defined as the preservation of one or more essential, unique core elements that in turn implicate a set of tradeoffs or elements that may be sacrificed. Continuity approached in this way, where the pursuit of any dimension will have both gains and losses, will inevitably enrich both the client and consultant.

scholarly journals LABORATORIOS SENOSIAIN S.A. DE C.V. Primero la Familia y Después el Negocio

1992 ◽  
pp. 73-83
Author(s):  
Emilio L. Espinosa Gamboa ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Future Thinking ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
A Company ◽  
Pharmaceutical Laboratories

The present case is about the evolution of a family business whose beginning dates back to the early XX century. Having been a modest provincial pharmacy, over the years it became one of the most important pharmaceutical laboratories in Mexico. The main objective of the case is to detect the business strategy that has prevailed in each of the stages corresponding to the three generations of the Senosiain family and to explore how the strategy, both familiar and business, could be modified as a vision for the future, thinking about the imminent maturity of the next generation, and considering the profound changes that could occur in the environment, both national and international. In addition, it is worth highlighting the value of the strategic definition of a company, rebuilding and analyzing its tradition and its historical development as additional elements to evaluate its forces, weaknesses, values, among others. This case may also be suitable for discussing and analyzing the peculiar problems and characteristics of family businesses.

Updating Systems Concepts in Family Businesses

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Distelberg ◽  
Ritch L. Sorenson
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Resource Flows ◽  
Business System ◽  
The Family ◽  
Resource Transfers ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Current Systems

This article extends and expands current systems views of family business and provides a framework for interpreting family business holistically . The framework extends the definition of family-first and business-first systems and adds three categories that typify the gradations of firms that represent balanced systems emphases. In addition, this article discusses the goals, resource transfers, strengths, and limitations of each type of system and describes how firm adaptability and resource flows influence and change these family business systems; it argues that to understand family business health, one must understand the values and goals that guide the family, business, and ownership systems, as well as the overall family business system; and it presents an inclusive definition of family and business based on systems membership.

scholarly journals Corporate Governance Of Family Firms In Subsequent Generations

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
Christine Duller
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Supervisory Board ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
German Family ◽  
Supervisory Boards

This paper addresses the differences in corporate governance regarding generations of Austrian and German family businesses. Generations differ from each other significantly with respect to the percentage of non-family executives in management boards. The existence of a supervisory board differs between founder and subsequent generations, but it turns out that with transfer of ownership to subsequent generations, there is no noticeable trend concerning the percentage of non-family members in supervisory boards. Thus, this study demonstrates the importance of a comprehensive and profound analysis of generation-specific characteristics.

scholarly journals Micro Family Businesses in the Czech Republic from the Perspective of Multiple Criteria Decision-Making

2021 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 05021
Author(s):  
Vojtěch Meier
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Multiple Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Multiple Criteria ◽  
Legal Form ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Family ◽  
Definition Of

Research background: Family businesses are undoubtedly important in both the Czech and international economy. They also play a crucial part in globalization. They have always been providing the largest job source in the private sector all over the world. However, over all these years, there has not been a unified definition of family business, which makes the government hard to distinguish between family and non – family business. Thus, this complicated the administrative and legal process. Finally, in 2019, the definition of the family business in the Czech Republic has been specified, which has facilitated many administrative and legal processes. Simultaneously, the management of Czech family businesses is currently facing the first “post-revolutionary” transition of generations. Many family businesses are deciding whether to maintain or to change the type of business entities. Purpose of the article: This article aims to determine the most advantageous legal form of business for micro family businesses. Methods: This article uses the Saaty pair comparison method and TOPSIS method. In addition to the methods of analysis, synthesis, and comparison, the selected methods of multiple criteria decision making are used in the article. Findings & Value added: The results of the decision analysis revealed that, based on the criteria considered (legal, accounting, tax and managerial), the most optimal legal form of the family business is self-employed. Apart from the results, the research adds value to this topic for the Czech business environment, in which future scholars can compare between the Czech Republic and the other countries.

Keeping it in the family: family, priorities and succession in Scottish landed estates

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 350-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia di Belmonte ◽  
Claire Seaman ◽  
Richard Bent
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Vision ◽  
The Family ◽  
Definition Of Success ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider multigenerational landed estates in Scotland from a family business perspective. The strategic vision for the business is considered here in terms of the family definition of success, drawing upon aspects of cultural identity, legal and fiscal systems and stewardship theory. Design/methodology/approach A social-constructivist epistemology framed this study, which considered perceptions of family business strategy, culture and family defined visions of success. Semi-structured interview techniques were utilized to collect primarily qualitative date. Findings Results indicate that the families shared a very cohesive definition of what constituted the family business and were very aware of the importance of long-term planning in the succession process. The cultural and legal dimension of primogeniture played a defining role in the choice of successors, developed from the belief that the successor is the steward of the family property rather than the “owner” in any personal sense. Key priorities for the family included the training of the heir and the limiting of potential taxation liabilities juxtaposed with the desire to retain family discretion in decision making. Practical implications By extending current research to businesses that have been successfully transferred between six or more generations this study offers a unique insight into the requirements for effective succession. This research also offers an insight into the strategic management of a group of “family businesses” where the economic and legislative environment have required families to plan, where smaller family businesses are often able to defer. Originality/value Multigenerational estates represent some of the oldest family businesses in Scotland, offering a unique sample group of businesses which have survived through six or more generations. The clarity of strategic vision and the perceived importance of long-term planning offer an insight into the reasons for business longevity.

scholarly journals Professionalization of Family Firms: Striking a Balance Between Personal and Non-Personal Factors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltán Kárpáti
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Multidimensional Model ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Formal Control ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Definition Of

The amount of research on family businesses’ analysis has increased significantly in recent years, thus showing the high importance of the topic. In most countries, family businesses occupy a prominent place in contributing to the economy with the added value they produce. However, less attention has been paid to the professionalization of family businesses and the exploration and presentation of the related literature. The professionalization of family business is a significant research concern in the entrepreneurship and governance literature. In the context of family businesses, professionalization initially meant nothing more than hiring an outside, non-family manager. For today, the content of professionalization has expanded, and a multidimensional model has evolved: a broader, deeper understanding has evolved, which involves other vital aspects such as developing formal control and human resource systems, decentralization of authority, formal strategic planning, or top-level activeness. This study aims to present the essential international literature on professionalization and provide a comprehensive overview of the studies published. The literature review mainly summarizes the results of the last twenty years and closely related articles. The paper follows the next logic; in the first part, the definition of professionalization is introduced along with its benefits and challenges. Then, based on the research methodology presented, the related empirical and theoretical studies are examined. In the end, the review summarizes the key findings in a table.

Review of differences between listed and unlisted family business research trends: a corporate governance context

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edem M. Azila-Gbettor ◽  
Ben Q. Honyenuga ◽  
Robert Jan Blomme ◽  
Ad Kil
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Performance Studies ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Measures ◽  
Business Studies ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Definition Of

PurposeThis review assesses state of knowledge by critically comparing empirical literature on relationships between corporate governance and performance with regards to listed and unlisted family business.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies a systematic review approach to assess 159 corporate governance and performance studies on family business published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2016.FindingsResults from the review demonstrate heterogeneity in definition of family business, limited study of indicators of ownership and board dimensions of corporate governance in unlisted family businesses and over concentration on financial measures by listed family business studies. Possible solution was offered for potential research gaps.Originality/valueThis is the first review that comprehensively compares studies in listed and unlisted family business from the perspectives of corporate governance. Findings from this review may contribute to promoting research in corporate governance in the context of listed and unlisted family businesses.

scholarly journals Diversity and uniqueness of Family business in the North of Portugal

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Marques
Keyword(s):  
Family Business ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
The North ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Business Family

Family businesses are the most omnipresent form of business organisations at the international and national levels. In Portugal, family firms account for more than 70% of all businesses, contributing with 50% in employment creation. Yet, most of the existing literature does not converge in a consensual and operative definition of what are core elements which distinguish family business from non-family business. Therefore, it is crucial to extend our knowledge on important family business topics due to the broadness, diversity, uniqueness and growth potential of family business in the whole world. In this sense, the ongoing project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE2020/FEDER) is focused on providing a better understanding and assessment of the impact of family businesses in the North of Portugal on the local, national and international economies. This research addresses a major problem that has been identified in Europe and consists in the lack of institutional visibility, particularly of accurate and up-to-date statistics in this sector. This paper begins by identifying some of the interesting research questions that emerge from examining the business family portraits. Then, based on some preliminary empirical findings gathered from ongoing research, first of all, we intend to identify interesting profiles of family business by mobilising some socioeconomic variables; and secondly, to point out major challenges faced by Portuguese family business.

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