Through the Eyes of the Beholder

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Dumas ◽  
Sanjay Goel ◽  
Alberto Zanzi

This study posed several questions about the determinants of family business CEOs' perceptions of the board of directors. Specifically, the authors investigated whether the following factors played a role in determining the positive perception of their contribution by the family firm's CEO: the compensation structure of the board of directors of a family firm; the number of outside directors; the size of equity held by the board; and the directors' formal efforts for the benefit of the firm. It was found that the number of outside directors and their formal efforts for the firm played a significant role in determining the CEOs' perceptions of their contribution, whereas their compensation and size of equity had no effect on how they were perceived. This suggests that family business owners value the independent perspective that outside board members bring to a board. In addition, the results suggest that family business owners value (and are sensitive to) the effort board members put into the discharge of their duties. The evidence that independence in the board is highly valued provides reason for optimism about the continued survival, growth and adaptability of family businesses. Other research and practical implications of this study are also described.

Author(s):  
Vojtěch MEIER

Family businesses are the foundation of any economy. They have been heavily influencing our society for many centuries. The level of involvement among family members is vital to flourish a family business. Therefore, research is conducted to assess the dependencies of six aspects of the selected family businesses in the Czech Republic. Several findings from the family survey are found in the correlation analysis: there is the highest indirect dependence between the number of directors and the number of family members actively involved in a family business, and some factors do not show dependence. This is evidenced by the relationships between the number of members of the board of directors or managing directors and the number of family members who are not interested in family business. Correlation analysis methods are used on top of the methods of analysis, synthesis and comparison.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-20
Author(s):  
Henrique Cordeiro Martins ◽  
Carlos Alberto Gonçalves ◽  
ose Antonio de Sousa Neto ◽  
Marcio Augusto Gonçalves ◽  
Reynaldo Maia Muniz

The goal of this article is to analyze the constitution of the directors boards, based on their attributes, and the impact of this configuration on the roles and responsibilities of the board members in Brazilian Family Businesses. A research of a qualitative nature was carried out in 10 big family companies in Brazil. The results found point to the strategic roles as being the most relevant, but as a practical activity focused on the role of control. The Board has been more active at some moments, but is inactive at others, especially, when the concentration of capital is greater in some companies than in others.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 17-18

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on the impact that different forms of human capital have on the board of directors’ strategic activity and vision for their enterprise. The results reveal that innovation can be fueled most reliably by retaining the company founder on the board of directors and by seeking and retaining for the longer term board members with scientific and technological expertise. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists, and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Karayianni ◽  
Elias Hadjielias ◽  
Loukas Glyptis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the way in which family ties influence the entrepreneurial preparedness of the diaspora family business owner. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were carried out with 15 Cypriot family business owners hosted in various countries. The paper draws on social capital theory and uses an abductive analytical approach. Findings The findings of this paper illustrate that family ties coming from the family across borders play a significant role for diaspora family business owners’ entrepreneurial preparedness. Hidden values deriving from the interpersonal relationships within the family across borders drive the diaspora family business owners to learn upon self-reflection and become entrepreneurially prepared, led by both urgency and esteem. Practical implications This study provides practical implications for the entrepreneurial preparedness of diaspora family business owners and those who wish to become family business owners in a diaspora context. Originality/value This study contributes theoretically through the conceptualization of “family across borders social capital” and “diaspora entrepreneurial preparedness”. It also contributes empirically to the fields of diaspora family business, entrepreneurial learning and diaspora entrepreneurship through new knowledge regarding the role of family across borders social capital in the entrepreneurial preparedness of the diaspora family business owner.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-17
Author(s):  
Abdelkader Derbali ◽  
Lamia Jamel ◽  
Ali Lamouchi ◽  
Ahmed K Elnagar ◽  
Monia Ben Ltaifa

The board of directors plays a crucial role as an internal structure of corporate governance. Certainly, its efficiency is needy on the existence of numerous issues; the greatest significance is correlated to its characteristics that relay principally to the individuality of its memberships, board dimension, combining the purposes of pronouncement and regulator as well the grade of the individuality of the audit board and the diverse gender of the committee. To assess the authenticity of our assumptions, which stipulate the presence of deterministic characteristics of the committee on the profitability of Tunisian banks, we evaluated by three different ratios i.e., ROA (return on asset), ROE (return on equity), and MP (market performance); and we estimate three models with linear regressions. The empirical findings were performed on a data sample composed of 11 Tunisian banks listed on the Stock Exchange of Tunisia (SET) during the period from 1999 to 2018. From the estimated regressions, we find a satisfactory outcome indicating the significance of the influence of the characteristics of the committee on the banking performance in Tunisia. Then, the percentage of outside directors negatively affects the level of the financial performance of banks. The number of institutional administrators performs an essential role in improving financial performance. Finally, the duality of the Presidency of the Council General-Directorate has a negative effect on the level of stock market performance of Tunisian banks.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Binz Astrachan ◽  
Isabel C. Botero

Purpose Evidence suggests that some stakeholders perceive family firms as more trustworthy, responsible, and customer-oriented than public companies. To capitalize on these positive perceptions, owning families can use references about their family nature in their organizational branding and marketing efforts. However, not all family firms actively communicate their family business brand. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to investigate why family firms decide to promote their “family business brand” in their communication efforts toward different stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach Data for this study were collected using an in-depth interview approach from 11 Swiss and German family business owners. Interviews were transcribed and coded to identify different themes that help explain the different motives and constraints that drive their decisions to promote the “family business brand.” Findings The analyses indicate that promoting family associations in branding efforts is driven by both identity-related (i.e. pride, identification) and outcome-related (e.g. reputational advantages) motives. However, there are several constraints that may negatively affect the promotion of the family business brand in corporate communication efforts. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to explore why family businesses decide to communicate their “family business brand.” Building on the findings, the authors present a conceptual framework identifying the antecedents and possible consequences of promoting a family firm brand. This framework can help researchers and practitioners better understand how the family business nature of the brand can influence decisions about the company’s branding and marketing practices.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Atkins ◽  
Mohamed Zakari ◽  
Ismail Elshahoubi

This paper aims to investigate the extent to which board of directors’ mechanism is implemented in Libyan listed companies. This includes a consideration of composition, duties and responsibilities of the board directors. This study employed a questionnaire survey to collect required data from four key stakeholder groups: Boards of Directors (BD), Executive Managers (EM), Regulators and External Auditors (RE) and Other Stakeholders (OS). The results of this study provided evidence that Libyan listed companies generally comply with the Libyan Corporate Governance Code (LCGC) requirements regarding the board composition: the findings assert that most boards have between three and eleven members, the majority of whom are non-executives and at least two or one-third of whom (whichever is greater) are independent. Moreover, the results indicate that general assemblies in Libyan listed companies are practically committed to the LCGC’s requirements regarding the appointment of board members and their length of tenure. The findings provide evidence that boards in Libyan listed companies are carrying out their duties and responsibilities in accordance with internal regulations and laws, as well as the stipulations of the LCGC (2007). Furthermore, the stakeholder groups were broadly satisfied that board members are devoting sufficient time and effort to discharge these duties and responsibilities properly. This study helps to enrich our understanding and knowledge of the current practice of corporate boards as a significant mechanism of corporate governance (CG) by being the first to address the board of directors’ mechanism in Libyan listed companies.


Author(s):  
Katharina Harsch ◽  
Marion Festing

Family businesses dominate the corporate world but there is much we don’t know about them. Managing non-family talent is one under-researched area which we explore here, using a context-specific analysis on multiple levels, including qualitative data from interviews with family business owners and non-family talents in strategic family business positions in Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. Based on stewardship theory and our empirical results, we suggest a framework that explains the particular facets of talent management in this context, characterised by the emotional attachment of the family and involvement in the business. Our findings show that primarily the values and attitudes of families shape the specific family business talent management approach, which is embedded in the particularities of the family business culture at the meso level and in region-specific macro-level factors.


2016 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Venter ◽  
S. M. Farrington

Given the need for a different approach to leadership, as well as the need for further investigation on leadership among family businesses, this study investigates several value-laden leadership styles among family businesses. More specifically the primary objective is to establish the levels of Servant, Ethical, Authentic, and Participative leadership displayed by family business owners and the influence thereof on the Perceived business performance of the family business. A survey was undertaken and 266 usable questionnaires were returned from 133 family business owners and 133 from family business employees. The data analysis involved calculating descriptive statistics and undertaking t-tests. Multiple regression analysis (MRA) was done to test the hypothesised relationships. Although the MRA analysis revealed no statistically significant relationships between the leadership styles investigated and Perceived business performance, the vast majority of respondents agreed that the styles investigated were displayed by the family business owners. For both sample groups Ethical leadership returned the highest mean score, followed by Servant and Participative leadership. The importance of these value-laden leadership styles to family businesses is thus highlighted, contradicting the literature that family businesses owners are often autocratic in their leadership style. In addition, increased clarity on the effectiveness of these value-laden leadership styles within the context of family business is provided.


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