Reading the Harvard Business Review article “How to Lead When Things Feel Increasingly Out of Control,” I was struck by its particular relevance for family-owned firms—businesses often criticized for delaying critical decisions and missing opportunities amid uncertainty and volatility. This perception notwithstanding, many family businesses bring decades of hard-won experience in navigating uncertainty. They have […]
5 strategies for a new model of family business
As Heraclitus said more than two millennia ago, “Nothing is permanent except change,” yet the very nature of change has shifted dramatically in today’s volatile, hyperconnected and fast-paced world. Family firms are generally better equipped to weather the storm thanks to their comparatively longer-term perspective and financial resilience. Yet other traits aren’t as positive, says […]
The ripple effect of trust and the family firm
When searching for a new supplier, investor or manager, what’s your number one criterion? Industry reputation? A core metric? Economic cost or benefit? While all relevant criteria, there is another that trumps them all: trust. Defined in academic literature as the willingness of one party to be vulnerable to the actions of another, trust has […]
The link between family firms and their stakeholders
Global organizations are increasingly integrating stakeholder opinions and ESG objectives in their corporate purpose, an approach that family businesses have been applying for decades. In this recently published Harvard Deusto article, I explore the essential role of purpose and why it should be viewed through a strategic lens: Profundizando en la relación entre empresas familiares […]
5 essential rules for overcoming challenges in family firms
As I explored in a recent article published in the Harvard Deusto Business Review, prosperous family businesses owe their success to adhering to the following five essential rules: 1 – Treat the business as a business and the family as a family 2 – Foresee changes to avoid surprises 3 – Implement structures for nearly […]
¡HOLA! A window on the world since 1944
Eduardo Sánchez Pérez (PADE ’20) is the editor-in-chief of ¡HOLA!, Spain’s first society magazine and a pioneer in premier photojournalism. In this article, he shares the history of this pathbreaking publication, founded by his grandparents in 1944. The origins of ¡HOLA! can be traced back to the love story between my grandparents, Antonio Sánchez Gómez […]
Family businesses have a talent-acquisition advantage
According to a recent PwC survey, next-generation leaders of family firms see talent acquisition, management, and retention as a key priority in the next two years in the wake of Covid-19 impacts and the subsequent labor market moves. In this Harvard Business Review article, the authors explore the pivotal role of talent acquisition in the […]
Opening the door to new possibilities
The start of the new academic year invites us to open our minds in the broadest sense – to new ideas, people, projects and ways of working that inspire us personally and motivate our teams and organizations. In the realm of family business, several dualities reflect this sense of expansiveness: legacy and future, tradition and […]
External stakeholders: 3 ways to boost engagement
Guest contributor: Sumeet Malik Assistant Professor · University of Amsterdam / Entrepreneurship & Innovation Section 2021-2022 Post-Doctoral Fellow · IESE Chair of Family-Owned Business From investors and regulators to customers, external stakeholders are critical to the long-term success of family firms. They buy their products, regulate their operations, and provide their means of operation by […]
Family business is P2P
We often hear about B2C and B2B business models, but let’s not forget P2P, or the “person to person” model. Year after year, my interactions with family firms confirm the importance of placing people at the heart of decision making. People should always be the top priority, which applies not only to family business, but […]
Annual Report 2021-22
As Aristotle said, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and this is certainly true of IESE’s Chair of Family-Owned Business. Looking back on the academic year, I could not be more pleased with the team’s accomplishments and contributions toward advancing the practice and knowledge of family business. We hope you enjoy […]
