Diss.--Universität München, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Family businesses have fuelled the growth of the Singapore economy since the 1960s. Many large Singapore companies, including a significant number of those listed on the Stock Exchange of Singapore, are family-owned and controlled. When a family business grows, it requires the services of well-educated and qualified professionals. Consequently, family businesses need to attract and retain these professionals. However, little is known about the preference for family businesses as work organisations among professionals. This study examined business undergraduates' perception of work life in family businesses and their preference for such work organisations after graduation. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2000.

Family businesses constitute between forty five and ninety percent of gross domestic product world wide. Research shows that within the next five years over fifty percent of executives will retire, highlighting the significance of successful family business successions. Family businesses founded in the “baby-boom” era are of immediate concern to researchers who are working to understand the dynamics around the succession process and ultimately the criteria preventing or enhancing successful successions. The purpose of this study was to better understand the development of successors in family businesses. A detailed literature study was conducted on family businesses and in particular the factors which both positively and negatively affect family business successions. A single case study approach was used to test whether six dynamic variables applied to this case or not. Three sibling brother successors, a sibling sister and their parents were each separately interviewed and the interviews voice recorded. They were asked questions which could be later analysed and used to uphold or negate whether the six dynamic variables applicable to successful family business succession were upheld or rejected. The data was meticulously analysed and similar answers grouped together. Answers which varied from the norm were reported separately. It was found that in all six of the propositions the responses received from the case study respondents upheld the propositions. Thus, families businesses seeking succession, may well understand and take action regarding the six dynamic variables relating to successful family business successions

The spirit of this thesis is essentially written as a narrative; a story in which a perceived imperative to change the thinking and behaviour of a tradition-bound Chinese business (a unique multiple owned family food business) becomes a vision that leads to the design and implementation of a change management strategy that relies on workplace learning as the driver. / Thesis (DoctorateofBusinessAdministration)--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 336-404).

Family businesses are major contributors to the economies of most countries and are known to be one of the best performing, most prevalent and resilient forms of business throughout the world. Despite their importance and based on the vast amount of research done in the field of family businesses, this form of business appears to be laden with challenges and is short-lived. Amongst others, one of the most fundamental challenges and contributors to the short-lived nature, and thus high failure rate of family businesses is poor succession planning. In order to address this challenge, the Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices (STEP) research framework was developed to ascertain the factors that contribute to entrepreneurial performance and the effective transgenerational potential and success of family businesses globally. Transgenerational potential, entrepreneurial performance, the external mediating factors influencing family businesses, Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and the Resource Based View (RBV) of familiness resource pools are the components that make up the STEP research framework. By adopting the STEP research framework, the primary objective of this study is to establish how a transgenerational family business creates new economic activity over time by using and transferring familiness resource pools from one generation to the next. Due to the primary focus of the study being to research familiness resource pools and how they generate transgenerational potential for family businesses, this component of the STEP research framework is investigated in detail. The literature review therefore highlights the eight dimensions of familiness resource pools, namely: leadership, networks, capital, decision-making, culture, relationships, governance and knowledge, and are the main focus of this study. An interpretivism research paradigm is selected for this study. Interpretivism paradigms are associated with qualitative research methodologies. Owing to the fact that much still remains to be discovered in terms of familiness and familiness resource pools, a descriptive, single-case study is the type of research method undertaken. The sample is identified based on non-probability purposive sampling as per the strict guidelines of the STEP project. The sample size in this study consisted of one family business operating in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The STEP interview schedule, which consists of semi-structured questions, is the research instrument used to collect the necessary data from five participants involved in the family business (a prominent motorcar dealership). Once all the data is collected, a combination of directed content analysis and explanation building are used to analyse the data. The findings of the study reveal that the leadership values present in the family business stem from that of the founder. Contrary to the current CEO’s beliefs that the family business investigated operates primarily under his participative leadership style, the interviews reveal that while the CEO does demonstrate participative leadership, his leadership style is somewhat autocratic in nature. This autocratic leadership style has caused the employees and the business as a whole, to become too reliant on the CEO, especially in terms of strategic decision-making, which may be a threat to the future succession of the business. The CEO’s expert leadership however, ensures that the business adheres to strict guidelines in terms of employing the best person for the job, regardless of whether the candidates are family members or not. As such, the prominent motorcar dealership is marketed as a family business and together under the family leadership, has helped attract customers and well qualified non-family employees to the business. While there is ample leadership available within the business, the lack of succession planning is reiterated to be a major threat facing the future of the business. Almost all of the original networks established by the founder in the prominent motorcar dealership studied still exist in the business in 2014. It is established that employees, especially those in the third generation, are encouraged to build their own networks within their relevant spheres of responsibility. Moreover, the business family’s history, reputation and goodwill have helped create and establish networks for the family business, especially within the Eastern Cape. These networks have helped the business drive sales and have contributed to the success of the business.

Unstable times have been with mankind since recorded history began, markedly so since September 11th 2001, and its effects on the financial markets have led to substantial loss of wealth, especially for wealthy families. The wealth of these families is widespread: it often contains a family business at its heart, and includes property and portfolio assets as well as art collections and other important assets, often spread over many jurisdictions. Advisors can help or hinder the wealth preservation efforts of wealthy families. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2005.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-164) Also available in print.

The purpose of this research paper was to identify and understand critical successor attributes in Indian family owned businesses in South Africa. The understanding of these attributes may inform management’s selection criteria in choosing an appropriate successor. Succession is crucial in terms of the survival of Indian family owned businesses in South Africa. A literature review on the topic of succession in family owned businesses was done. From the literature, 30 critical successor attributes were identified. The research question was formulated after discovering that there have not been any South African studies on the topic of critical successor attributes. Interviewees were asked to list and discuss critical successor attributes as part of the open ended questions during the interview and then later presented and asked to rate the importance of the 30 successor attributes identified from two previous studies. Eight Indian family owned businesses were identified through purposive sampling where the predecessor/potential predecessor and the successor/potential successor were interviewed. The open ended questions in the interview provided rich descriptive data and highlighted critical successor attributes according to this sample. The most critical successor attributes identified were financial and accounting skills; education; and business acumen. When presented with the 30 attributes identified from the previous two studies, “integrity” and “commitment to business” were identified as the two most important successor attributes from this list. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The objective of this report was to gain a better understanding of the role of Indian women in South African Indian family-owned businesses. Thirty, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted. The respondents comprised of ten South African - Indian females, ten Indian males and ten non-family employees. The feedback was analysed using the constant comparative analysis method. Purposive sampling coupled with maximum variation generated a participant base of Indian family businesses with female family members actively involved on a daily basis in the business, primarily in financial administration. A model, based on the findings, was derived for the purpose of drawing the key findings together. This model (Figure 3) illustrates the key roles of Indian women, relating to the six research questions and also highlights the emergence of a new theme, male ego conditioning. The model provides a basis for family business practices in understanding the interplay of the various roles of Indian women at the individual, business and family interfaces., in order to cope with their family and business responsibilities. This research project also uncovered additional findings that have improved the current understanding of the role of Indian women in a family business and provides implications for future family business practice and research. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted