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- Faculty Publications (189)
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- All HBS Web (380)
- Faculty Publications (189)
- December 6, 2013
- Article
Family Businesses Shouldn't Hunt for Superstar CEOs
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article discusses the challenges faced by family businesses when it comes to succession planning, particularly in selecting an outside CEO. It presents a case study of a third-generation family business looking for an external CEO, named "Mr. Wonderful," to manage...
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Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Businesses Shouldn't Hunt for Superstar CEOs." Harvard Business Review (website) (December 6, 2013).
- 12 Nov 2001
- Research & Ideas
The Three Components of Family Governance
business. It is wise, therefore, in the family council and family assembly to emphasize consensus decisions around family goals and policies, openness to various viewpoints, as...
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- 09 Jul 2007
- Research & Ideas
Five Steps to Better Family Negotiations
Negotiations between family members who own a business are different—different from negotiations between non-family members and also different from negotiations between family members who don't have a...
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Keywords:
by John A. Davis and Deepak Malhotra
- October 2001 (Revised November 2001)
- Case
Blethen Family and the Seattle Times Company (A), The
By: John A. Davis and Cathy Quinn
Frank Blethen, the fourth-generation publisher of The Seattle Times, ponders the challenges facing this family business. This case reviews the long history of this business and family and asks whether family ownership and management are in the interests of both the...
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Keywords:
History;
Management;
Business or Company Management;
Family Business;
Family and Family Relationships;
Family Ownership;
Problems and Challenges;
Journalism and News Industry;
Media and Broadcasting Industry
Davis, John A., and Cathy Quinn. "Blethen Family and the Seattle Times Company (A), The." Harvard Business School Case 802-096, October 2001. (Revised November 2001.)
- October 2023
- Technical Note
Governance for the Family Enterprise
By: Christina R. Wing and Vicki Morton
Governance stands as the backbone of any successful organization, providing the structure, transparency, and accountability necessary to guide decisions, ensure efficiency and foster sustainable growth. Its significance takes on a heightened dimension within family...
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- August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Background Note
Governance of the Business Family
By: John A. Davis
Explains the purposes, processes, standards, plans, and agreements that together help to govern (or steer) a family that owns a family business.
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Keywords:
Family Business;
Corporate Governance;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Family Ownership
Davis, John A. "Governance of the Business Family." Harvard Business School Background Note 807-020, August 2006. (Revised July 2007.)
- 13 Feb 2014
- Research & Ideas
Managing the Family Business: Leadership Roles
management: businesses, families, and ownership groups need all three of these activities. If you observe an effective leader of a family business system, like Sirotsky, over the course of a month, you'll...
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Keywords:
by John A. Davis
- March 2007 (Revised October 2007)
- Module Note
Negotiating Effectively in Family Business Systems
By: Deepak Malhotra and John A. Davis
Explores how families in business can apply five principles of negotiation that are used effectively by non-family members. The distinctive characteristics of family relationships and of family business systems--which affect the use of these principles--are described.
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Malhotra, Deepak, and John A. Davis. "Negotiating Effectively in Family Business Systems." Harvard Business School Module Note 807-144, March 2007. (Revised October 2007.)
- August 2022
- Case
One Tiger Per Mountain: The He Family Office
By: Lauren Cohen, Fei Wu and Grace Headinger
Roy He, founder and majority shareholder of his family construction material production company, was preparing to pass down the family business through its first generational handover to his children. His decision would establish his familial legacy and set a precedent...
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Keywords:
Governance Structure;
Family Business;
Family Ownership;
Strategic Planning;
Family and Family Relationships;
Leadership;
Construction Industry;
Canton (city, China);
Canton (province, China);
China
Cohen, Lauren, Fei Wu, and Grace Headinger. "One Tiger Per Mountain: The He Family Office." Harvard Business School Case 223-001, August 2022.
- March 18, 2014
- Article
Family Businesses Must Set the Agenda (Without Micromanaging)
By: Josh Baron and Rob Lachenauer
This article discusses the role of owners in family businesses, using the story of Charles, who transformed his family's shipping business by taking ownership decisions. The article highlights that owners have the power to set goals, define performance metrics, hire...
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Baron, Josh, and Rob Lachenauer. "Family Businesses Must Set the Agenda (Without Micromanaging)." Harvard Business Review (website) (March 18, 2014).
- Article
Family Control of Firms and Industries
We test what explains family control of firms and industries and find that the explanation is largely contingent on the identity of families and individual blockholders. Founders and their families are more likely to retain control when doing so gives the firm a...
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Keywords:
Family Business;
Cost vs Benefits;
Governance Controls;
Family Ownership;
Business and Shareholder Relations;
Competitive Advantage
Villalonga, Belen, and Raphael Amit. "Family Control of Firms and Industries." Financial Management 39, no. 3 (Fall 2010): 863–904. (Lead article.)
- April 27, 2020
- Article
A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses
By: Josh Baron and Ben Francois
In a business crisis, the power of family business owners is magnified. Unlike public companies, which typically focus on maximizing shareholder value, family owners value objectives that usually go well beyond financial returns (e.g., family legacy, reputation). This...
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Baron, Josh, and Ben Francois. "A Crisis Playbook for Family Businesses." Harvard Business Review (website) (April 27, 2020).
- August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Background Note
Fundamentals of Family Business System Governance
By: John A. Davis
Reviews the purposes and ingredients in the governance (or steering) of a family business system. Explores at a high level the governance of the family business, its owners, and the family. Focuses on how these governance structures, processes, plans, and agreements...
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Keywords:
Family Business;
Corporate Governance;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Family Ownership
Davis, John A. "Fundamentals of Family Business System Governance." Harvard Business School Background Note 807-019, August 2006. (Revised July 2007.)
- May 11, 2020
- Article
Steer Your Family Businesses Through an Unplanned Transition
By: Josh Baron and Nick Di Loreto
In a perfect world, family businesses will transition leadership from one generation to the next along a predictable and well-planned process — whether that’s determined within the business, the ownership group, or the family itself — passing the baton after years of...
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Baron, Josh, and Nick Di Loreto. "Steer Your Family Businesses Through an Unplanned Transition." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 11, 2020).
- 12 Mar 2014
- Lessons from the Classroom
Managing the Family Business: Firing the CEO
Editor's note: This is part of a series of occasional columns on managing the family business written by Senior Lecturer John A. Davis. In this article, Davis discusses when to make changes at the top. No one needs convincing that the...
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- 31 Jul 2017
- HBS Case
It’s Hard to Fix the Family Business Without Offending the Family
finds equally beneficial lessons in a much different setting: a small family-owned Vietnamese restaurant in Boston’s inner-city neighborhood of Dorchester. Challenges lie in navigating complex family relationships, transitioning from...
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- 30 Mar 2015
- Research & Ideas
Managing the Family Business: Preparing to Sell
to consider selling your legacy business, we congratulate you. You (and all your stakeholders) will hopefully realize the fruits of generations of hard work and sacrifices. Plus, selling your family business presents wonderful...
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- August 2006 (Revised July 2007)
- Background Note
Governance of the Family Business Owners
By: John A. Davis
Reviews the principal ways in which the owners of a family business achieve their governance objectives of a suitable identity and sensible direction and the discipline to achieve these. Covers the responsibilities and rights of owners, plus governance procedures,...
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Keywords:
Family Business;
Corporate Governance;
Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms;
Goals and Objectives;
Family Ownership
Davis, John A. "Governance of the Family Business Owners." Harvard Business School Background Note 807-021, August 2006. (Revised July 2007.)
- 15 Jan 2014
- Research & Ideas
Managing the Family Business: It Takes a Village
business, its owners, and the family in control—is that strong, long-term business performance also requires strong performance by the family and by the ownership group. You...
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