* This article originally appeared in the newspaper “Expansión” on May 4, 2024 under the title “Llegan tiempos de mudanza y oportunidad para la empresa familiar.” Family firms require solid corporate governance in order to maintain their relevance as engines of growth and employment. Spain’s corporate world has garnered global media attention in recent weeks […]
Strategic alliances in family firms: 7 financial recommendations
The Family Business Reflection Forum co-organized by IESE’s Chair of Family-Owned Business and the Instituto de Empresa Familiar continues to give us plenty to talk about. In the first of this three-part series, Prof. Marta Elvira highlighted the core benefits of strategic alliances as engines for growth, which Prof. África Ariño brought to life in […]
Design, management and dynamics of successful strategic alliances
Guest contributor: África Ariño Professor of Strategic Management · Holder of the Joaquim Molins Figueras Chair of Strategic Alliances · IESE As explored in the first article in this series on the conclusions drawn at the Family Business Reflection Forum, strategic alliances enable two or more companies to share resources and capabilities to either undertake […]
An analysis of family firms and their impact on diverse stakeholders
Family businesses are economic motors and drivers of social cohesion around the world, which is why it’s important to better understand their impact on diverse stakeholder groups. To learn more, I encourage you to read the new white paper “Vínculos profundos: un análisis riguroso sobre las relaciones entre las empresas familiares y sus stakeholders” (Deep […]
Growth strategies: how alliances can boost the performance of family-owned firms
In today’s fast-paced global environment, growth isn’t an option for family businesses: it’s an imperative to ensure their long-term success and continuity. This reflection and the role of strategic alliances were in the spotlight at the first Family Business Forum for Reflection, organized recently by IESE and the Instituto de Empresa Familiar. This article, written […]
Trust and communication, the keys to higher productivity
Declining productivity is a constant concern for both governments and companies, especially small- and medium-sized ones. And it’s no wonder: private enterprises generate over 80% of jobs in developed countries, and 90% in developing economies. Many employers wonder if hybrid work formats are to blame for this decline, or at least struggle to define effective […]
McKinsey: 4+5 equals FOB outperformance
Recent research by McKinsey confirms the adaptability, resilience and impact of family-owned firms, whose structures and best practices leave them uniquely equipped to navigate business challenges in uncertain times. According to the authors, family firms that combine four critical mindsets with five strategic actions have the capacity to quadruple their business value in the next […]
Family firms see their largest growth increase in 15 years
Family-owned firms reported their largest growth increase in 15 years according to the 11th PwC Global Family Business Survey, carried out across 82 countries between October 2022 and January 2023. Strong values, employee communication and digital capabilities are among the traits shared by top-performing family firms. PwC Global Family Business Survey Homepage image: Jonathan […]
Seven communication insights for entrepreneurial families
At the start of a new academic year, let me first extend a warm welcome to everyone! The Chair of Family Business team is back, with our batteries fully charged and ready to continue offering you new insights and ideas to boost your firm’s performance. For my first article of 2023-24, I would like to […]
How employee incentives drive innovation in family firms
Innovation is the name of the game in today’s hypercompetitive markets: in order to survive, companies need to continuously innovate their products, processes and operations. Based on conventional wisdom, family-owned firms are at a disadvantage in this regard, with risk aversion, conservative attitudes, organizational rigidity and limited capital commonly cited as obstacles to innovation. At […]
