Library

Michiels, A. & Binz Astrachan, C. (2013). IT’S (NOT AT) ALL ABOUT THE MONEY: The Many Misunderstood and Underexplored Manifestations of Money in the Business Family | In this research report, we address the many in ways in which individuals’ attitudes regarding money affect their decisions at the intersection of the family and the business, e.g., compensation of family members in the business, financial distributions and goal setting in | Read more

Pieper, T. M., Astrachan, J.H., & Manners, G. E. (2013). Conflict in family business: Common metaphors and suggestions for intervention | In this article, we describe three of the most common conflicts that can result from the mutual impact of business and family systems [and] provide ways to diagnose problem areas and offer intervention suggestions to produce change in the family business system | Read more

Pieper, T. M. (2010). Non solus: Toward a psychology of family business | This article presents a psychological theory of family business, its conceptual base and its implications | Read more

Astrachan, J.H. (2009). Using and abusing family business research | Anecdotal evidence should be taken with a grain of salt: Family rules and structures need built-in flexibility | Read more

Keyt, A. (2014) | Preserving the family business | For family businesses to survive across generations, they need to view the family as one of their greatest assets | Read more

Williams, Ralph I., Torsten M. Pieper, Franz W. Kellermanns, and Joseph H. Astrachan (2019). Family business goal formation: A literature review and discussion of alternative algorithms | While family business goals have garnered much attention among researchers, relatively little is known about the approaches that family businesses use to shape their idiosyncratic goal sets | Read more

Astrachan, J.H. (2021). Family Businesses Must Plan for the Unthinkable | Be long-term in your horizon; promote open communication in the family and management; hold the company accountable at the board and family levels, and build a culture that promotes reinvestment in family and business and the development of slack resources to support growth and weather bad times | Read more

Binz Astrachan, C. & Astrachan, J.H. (2014). Family Business Branding: Leveraging Stakeholder Trust | What are the Do’s and Don’ts of Branding Your Family Business? | Read more

McCann, G. (2020). Making Family Business Future-Proof | The practices and qualities that enable family-owned firms to thrive through volatile times | Read more

Binz Astrachan, C. & Botero, I. (2021). The Case of Merck: Cultivating a Governance System Fit for a Dynasty (excerpt from the IFB Research Report Governance 2.0). | Read the case study here.

Maldonado, V. & Botero, I. (2021). Advisor Insights: Family Business Philanthropy | A conversation between Generation6 advisors Veronica and Isabel about why family business philanthropy matters, and what families should be paying attention to on their philanthropy journey | Watch it here

Astrachan J.H. & Pieper, T. (2020). Developing future leaders in the family business | We present strategies for developing future leaders and, in particular, we address educational age-specific milestones, the role of self-esteem, shared values and family culture, and specific training methods | Read more

Binz Astrachan C., Waldkirch, M., Michiels, A., Pieper, T., & Bernhard, F. (2020). Professionalizing the Business Family: The Five Pillars of Competent, Committed, and Sustainable Ownership | What characterizes a professional - think capable of making informed decisions that benefit the family and the business - ownership group, and how can your family become one? | Read more

McCann, G. (2020). Coaching: A powerful resource to accelerate your effectiveness as a leader | The benefits of having a coach: finding white space, having someone deeply listen, and how having a coach broadens your options and self-awareness | Read more

McCann, G. (2020). Difficult Conversations - A Process, Not An Event | How to have the difficult conversation with a client when you can’t predict the future or even know the answer | Read more

McCann, G. (2015). Equip your family for success in today's world | Successful families are becoming more aligned with their values to handle the greater stress and complexity arising from today’s exponential rate of change | Read more

Binz Astrachan, C., Astrachan, J. H., Kotlar, J., & Michiels, A. (2021). Addressing the theory-practice divide in family business research: The case of shareholder agreements | In this academic article, we explore the connection between governance practices - shareholder agreements being a case in point - and key characteristics of the individual business family | Read more

Astrachan, J.H. (2005). How directors can help family business owners | No matter how big or how small a family company is, its leaders can benefit from the perspective of experienced independent directors | Read more

Binz Astrachan, C., Astrachan, J.H., & Kormann, H. (2021). Four things that the best family business boards do well | In part one of this two-part series, we present four key learnings based on dozens of evaluations of family business boards | Read more

Binz Astrachan, C., Astrachan, J.H., & Kormann, H. (2021). The best family business boards embrace candor and ‘necessary endings’ | Speaking your truth and making hard decisions - especially when people you care about are involved - are rarely easy. The boardroom is a place where both are necessary | Read more

Keyt, A. (2005). Accountability or three-ring circus? | The true capacity of family councils and family business boards cannot be realized until there is a strong foundation of individual and family accountability to build on | Read more

Spector, B. & Astrachan, J.H. (2016). How directors can help family business owners | No matter how big or how small a family company is, its leaders can benefit from the perspective of experienced independent directors | Read more

Astrachan, J.H. (2021). A conversation with Andrej Fedoriv | Forthcoming