Studying or practicing? Being an entrepreneur or a manager? Working for the family business or not? How much should business-owning families support their young? The Trusted Family case discusses some fundamental dilemmas of next-generation family business members. It follows two young family entrepreneurs who launch their own company, a social media platform for other family businesses, thus finding not only a new way of working with the family business, but also how to leverage it.
Studying or practicing? Being an entrepreneur or a manager? Working for the family business or not? How much should business-owning families support their young? The Trusted Family case discusses some fundamental dilemmas of next-generation family business members. It follows two young family entrepreneurs who launch their own company, a social media platform for other family businesses, thus finding not only a new way of working with the family business, but also how to leverage it.
The case describes the story of three generations of a business family, who owned and managed a beautiful resort. The family story includes traumatic events like: early deaths; suicide; and remarriages and the lack of communication on succession issues. Succession took place in abrupt ways, through death of owner-managers, or threat to sell by their widows. Case (A) describes the history of the family and the business until 1996, when the second generation widow confronts the children with her determination to sell the business. Case (B), to be used after case discussion, explains what happened afterwards.
The case describes the story of three generations of a business family, who owned and managed a beautiful resort. The family story includes traumatic events like: early deaths; suicide; and remarriages and the lack of communication on succession issues. Succession took place in abrupt ways, through death of owner-managers, or threat to sell by their widows. Case (A) describes the history of the family and the business until 1996, when the second generation widow confronts the children with her determination to sell the business. Case (B), to be used after case discussion, explains what happened afterwards.