Truth be told, implementing and managing a board of directors in a family firm isn’t an easy task for a variety of reasons, including the unique nature of each family and company and its specific context and growth stage. Through my years of experience working with family firms, I have gathered several practical insights to […]
Evolving perspectives on ownership in family firms
In traditional economic-based views on governance, owners are often portrayed in a somewhat passive role, with an emphasis on the incentive structures they install to motivate employees and other key stakeholders. Under these frameworks, owners provide financial resources, while management–driven by the right incentives–execute day-to-day operations to create value. Yet this perspective fails to fully […]
Types of shareholders in family-owned firms
Family-owned businesses, especially later-generation firms, are supported by different types of stakeholders: shareholders, investors and owners. There’s a fourth category – speculator – that I’m omitting since it’s not worth mentioning. In my view, there is no wealth creation derived from speculation, which moreover, rarely occurs in family firms. So what are the differences between […]