In my last article published in October 2023, I raised the issue of external directors by saying they could either be independent or not. It’s not a question of how much they’re paid, as some people think: it’s far more complex and multidimensional than that. Let’s start by clarifying these two concepts. External versus independent…

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…

Numerous studies blame gender-based job segregation for the stubborn gender wage gap. However, women who do the same work as men in the same company are still not paid the same as their male counterparts. This El País article highlights the findings of my rececent study with Prof. Isabel Villamor on the primary drivers of…

Javier Cottet is the president of Cottet Óptica, a family-owned Spanish firm that traces its roots to the late 1800s in industrial France. In 2019, the company revitalized its business model with a more brand-centric and innovation-driven approach. I got my official start in the family business as an intern in the early 1990s, and…

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…

With corporate responsibility gaining traction around the world, more and more business leaders are considering the ethical dimensions of management. Among global scholars, pension funding is one of the hot-button topics under review. Employee pension schemes are common in the U.S. and might soon expand in Europe, where governments are considering hybrid models to solve…

I recently had the great honor of interviewing Ibukun Awosika for IESE's This Is Real Leadership podcast. Ibukun Awosika has had a long and illustrious career as an entrepreneur, leader, speaker, former president of First Bank of Nigeria and author of several books, including The Girl Entrepreneur. In this episode, we discuss authentic leadership, decision-making…

The family council is the ideal forum for owner families to reach consensus on the core decisions regarding their business. It is the preventive mechanism par excellence to analyze, discuss and debate critical issues, and make solid decisions based on shared criteria and commitment. In this way, family councils serve as firewalls, preventing conflicts from…

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…

Robust corporate governance systems in family firms shouldn’t be any different than those in well-managed non-family firms – at least in theory. In practice, it’s another story. Boards of directors in family businesses have adjacent psychological and psychosocial dimensions, and disregarding these dynamics can easily lead to tensions among board members. During my tenure as…

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…

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…

By their nature as family-owned, some family businesses think they can be more familiar and informal in their approach, and less commercial and regimented. This confusion can lead their operations to move in one direction and business formalities in the other. As a result, their corporate governance structures – shareholder and board meetings, for instance…

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…

Stakeholder capitalism has gone mainstream with the rise of the sustainability agenda. For family businesses, the fundamentals of shared value are well-known and woven throughout the family capitalism business model. As explored in the newly released KMPG report "A Road Well-Traveled," family businesses have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in guiding others…

Guest contributor: Carolyn Chen Sociologist · Author · Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of California-Berkeley · Co-Director of the Berkeley Center for the Study of Religion Much has been written about the role of purpose in the realm of family business. But what happens when organizations take it too far? Prof. Carolyn Chen explores the…

Ramon Roqueta Segalés is a winemaker, agricultural engineer and CEO of the Roqueta Origen Group. A fifth-generation member of "wine-growing entrepreneurs,” he shares how the business has grown since its creation in the 12th century. I have the privilege of leading the Roqueta Origen group, a group of small wineries with distinct brands and identities.…

Succession is the most critical challenge faced by family businesses since it touches the very heart of family and firm: its foundational bricks and future legacy. It’s difficult because it affects people – predecessors and successors, the company and the owner family – as well as complex since it can impact all three different spheres…

In my previous post, I highlighted two of the most common mistakes in family businesses. To avoid going on about mistakes, I've decided to entitle this post “Other things that often happen in family firms.” To be sure, lots of good things happen in family firms. My colleague, teacher and friend, Prof. Miguel Ángel Gallo,…

Inés Juste presides the Juste Group, a chemical-pharmaceutical company founded by her great-grandfather more than a century ago. In its fourth generation, the firm is a global reference thanks to its entrepreneurial spirit, innovative character and vocation for continuity between generations. The Juste Group was established in 1922 by my great-grandfather Rafael Juste Castán. A…