IBES2230 Family Business Growth and Governance (5 op)

The course will increase knowledge on matters related particularly to family-owned firms and their growth. Family firms (i.e. family-owned and managed organizations) posses distinct features in growth and goverance. The course will cover latest research and practices on family ownership, family business ethics, family business consulting, and family business management. We shall discuss family business research from a managerial perspective, as seen through the well-known journals in the field such as Family Business Review, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, and Journal of Small Business Management. Communication skills will be practised through workshops and individual essays.

On successful completion of the course, the students will

• be able to understand owner-manager’s decision-making problems in family-owned SMEs
• be able to understand good governance, seen as a mechanism for the board of directors to create value for SME family firms
• be able to describe knowledge and practices on consulting the owner-managers of family firms
• be able to improve family business growth and governance practices.

Collection of literature and articles will be announced at the beginning of the class.