The most successful and longest-enduring family firms are progressively encouraging the active presence of women on their corporate boards. Why is the presence of women on boards so important for family firms? And how can policy makers and controlling owners encourage the active presence of women on family business corporate boards? By integrating the literature on women in governance and the goals of family businesses, we take a step toward increasing shareholder awareness of the economic and noneconomic benefits that women can bring to the family business boardroom. Using theory and empirical evidence, we show that the presence of women on corporate boards can be instrumental for the controlling owners of a family business to achieve prosperity and success, to preserve family cohesion, and to improve the reputation of the family and business simultaneously. Furthermore, we discuss the socioemotional and economic ramifications of excluding women from the family business board of directors. We conclude with four practical recommendations for encouraging the active presence of women on family business boards.

Ruwwad was a youth-centric community development organization aimed at empowering and supporting marginalized and underdeveloped communities in the Arab world. It had launched numerous programs revolving around three main components: 1) youth empowerment, 2) community empowerment, and 3) child development. Samar Dudin, regional head and program manager of Ruwwad, was reflecting on the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges that Ruwwad faced in its home operation so that she could present her recommendations to the board of directors (BOD) on Friday. Her main concern was to present to the BOD a reasoned plan on how to expand the Ruwwad model and how to strengthen the partnerships required to scale up the impact of the model in the future.

Bank Audi, a leading financial institution, was founded in Lebanon in 1830 and, over the years, had been engaged in various forms of philanthropic, charitable giving embodying its responsibility towards its various stakeholders. The head of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) unit faced a prominent decision. How could the bank consolidate its CSR efforts-which had taken a largely philanthropic approach, especially between 2010 and 2012-in the context of a coherent strategy that built on the assessment of aspects that were material and critical to both the bank and its key stakeholders? Setting the bank's CSR priorities would serve as the basis of a coherent CSR strategy for Bank Audi.

<p style="color: rgb(197, 183, 131);"><strong> AWARD WINNER - Corporate Social Responsibility Award, European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Case Writing Competition</strong></p><br>Bank Audi, a leading financial institution, was founded in Lebanon in 1830 and, over the years, had been engaged in various forms of philanthropic, charitable giving embodying its responsibility towards its various stakeholders. The head of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) unit faced a prominent decision. How could the bank consolidate its CSR efforts—which had taken a largely philanthropic approach, especially between 2010 and 2012—in the context of a coherent strategy that built on the assessment of aspects that were material and critical to both the bank and its key stakeholders? Setting the bank’s CSR priorities would serve as the basis of a coherent CSR strategy for Bank Audi.

A leading family-owned Lebanese bakery-convenience store chain, Wooden Bakery, was in the process of deciding the company’s next options for growth in Lebanon and in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The owner was pondering the use of aggressive growth strategies such as franchising and area-development franchising. Additionally, the founder of the company and its board members were facing the biggest decision in the company’s history as they prepared to vote on whether to enter the U.S. market. What competitive and functional-level strategies would be required to implement such an ambitious growth strategy in a very challenging and unfamiliar market environment?

A leading family-owned Lebanese bakery-convenience store chain, Wooden Bakery, was in the process of deciding the company's next options for growth in Lebanon and in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The owner was pondering the use of aggressive growth strategies such as franchising and area-development franchising. Additionally, the founder of the company and its board members were facing the biggest decision in the company's history as they prepared to vote on whether to enter the U.S. market. What competitive and functional-level strategies would be required to implement such an ambitious growth strategy in a very challenging and unfamiliar market environment?

In 2010, the assistant general manager and head of strategic development at Lebanon's BLC Bank attended the annual summit of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, a leading organization of financial institutions that drove the creation of women's wealth worldwide. On her return to Beirut, she encouraged her bank to capitalize on the inclusion of women as a relevant differentiator from both a business and societal perspective. The result of research into the economic, demographic and social needs of the country was the launch in 2012 of the "We Initiative", a unique and comprehensive program dedicated to the economic empowerment of women in the Middle East and North Africa region. By 2015, the program's success not only served the bank's economic bottom line but also benefited the Lebanese economy and community as a whole and exemplified the bank's sense of responsibility to its society.

In 2010, the assistant general manager and head of strategic development at Lebanon’s BLC Bank attended the annual summit of the Global Banking Alliance for Women, a leading organization of financial institutions that drove the creation of women’s wealth worldwide. On her return to Beirut, she encouraged her bank to capitalize on the inclusion of women as a relevant differentiator from both a business and societal perspective. The result of research into the economic, demographic and social needs of the country was the launch in 2012 of the "We Initiative", a unique and comprehensive program dedicated to the economic empowerment of women in the Middle East and North Africa region. By 2015, the program’s success not only served the bank’s economic bottom line but also benefited the Lebanese economy and community as a whole and exemplified the bank’s sense of responsibility to its society.

Shankaboot, the world’s first Arabic-language web series, was created in Lebanon as a social development project carrying forward the following message: “to defy traditions and explore taboos. The overarching vision was to use the web to create a forum for raising awareness, sharing alternative viewpoints and generating constructive discussions about the social issues that were often experienced by Arab youth, but which no one dared to speak up about. The project was a resounding success and received a 2011 International Digital Emmy Award. In July 2011, the producer of the web drama was approached by potential funders to scale up the Shankaboot project to the rest of the Arab world. She had to decide where Shankaboot could expand to, given censorship laws and Internet connectivity levels in the region.

Shankaboot, the world's first Arabic-language web series, was created in Lebanon as a social development project carrying forward the following message: "to defy traditions and explore taboos". The overarching vision was to use the web to create a forum for raising awareness, sharing alternative viewpoints and generating constructive discussions about the social issues that were often experienced by Arab youth, but which no one dared to speak up about. The project was a resounding success and received a 2011 International Digital Emmy Award. In July 2011, the producer of the web drama was approached by potential funders to scale up the Shankaboot project to the rest of the Arab world. She had to decide where Shankaboot could expand to, given censorship laws and Internet connectivity levels in the region.

A social enterprise organization, whose mission is to battle poverty and gender discrimination through providing access to technology, is faced with the prospect of losing some or all of its government funding in a time of global recession. Under the legal structure of a non-governmental organization, Digital Opportunity Trust has partnered with large corporations and other organizations and established a local presence in disadvantaged areas. It has worked in a partnership setting to mobilize the information technology knowledge of young people and train them to become leaders of change in their local communities, which in turn will give them the relevant skills and experience to support their own career paths. The organization's striking success has been driven by its innovativeness and, more particularly, its noticeable efforts to reconcile the corporate and non-profit aspects of doing business, along with the challenges that come with it, without compromising the quality of the social enterprise brand that it is bringing forward.

A social enterprise organization, whose mission is to battle poverty and gender discrimination through providing access to technology, is faced with the prospect of losing some or all of its government funding in a time of global recession. Under the legal structure of a non-governmental organization, Digital Opportunity Trust has partnered with large corporations and other organizations and established a local presence in disadvantaged areas. It has worked in a partnership setting to mobilize the information technology knowledge of young people and train them to become leaders of change in their local communities, which in turn will give them the relevant skills and experience to support their own career paths. The organization’s striking success has been driven by its innovativeness and, more particularly, its noticeable efforts to reconcile the corporate and non-profit aspects of doing business, along with the challenges that come with it, without compromising the quality of the social enterprise brand that it is bringing forward.

Souk el Tayeb, Lebanon’s first weekly farmers’ market, and Tawlet, a farmers’ restaurant — the former adopting the legal structure of an NGO and the latter being an income-generating company — were joined by one vision to “celebrate food and traditions that unite communities and support small-scale farmers and producers and a culture of sustainable agriculture.” Souk el Tayeb’s founder, Kamal Mouzawak, first launched Souk el Tayeb in May 2004 in Beirut, Lebanon. The idea was to create a communal space for farmers across the country to sell their organic produce and products. The overarching vision was to create a platform that joined different people celebrating food, culture, and traditions and promoted and supported the agricultural sector in Lebanon. Mouzawak and his business partner were in the process of brainstorming ways to grow the impact of their business without compromising quality standards, all while meeting the ever-looming challenge of financial sustainability.

Souk el Tayeb, the farmers' market, and Tawlet, the farmers' kitchen are two legal entities, the former adopting the legal structure of an NGO and the latter, an income generating company, joined by one vision namely to "celebrate food and traditions that unite communities and support small-scale farmers and producers and a culture of sustainable agriculture." Souk el Tayeb founder, Kamal Mouzawak, first launched Souk el Tayeb, a farmer's market, in May 2004 in Beirut, Lebanon. The idea was to create a communal space for farmers across the country to sell their organic produce and products. The over-arching vision was to create a platform that joined different people celebrating food, culture and traditions and in parallel promoting and supporting the agricultural sector in Lebanon. Mouzawak and his business partner were in the process of brainstorming ways to scale the impact of their social business while not compromising quality standards and meeting the ever looming challenge of financial sustainability.

The year 2006 marked the beginning of 2b Design, a social business in Lebanon that specialized in creating handmade furniture and decorative pieces. Raja Moubarak and his wife, Benedicte de Blavous, created their business venture around a focused social mission to preserve disappearing art, architecture, and heritage through artistic creations and employing marginalized people, particularly the handicapped and unemployable. By collecting and using wrought-iron and wooden pieces found in scrap yards from old Lebanese homes dating back to the Ottoman Empire, 2b Design managed to preserve a heritage that was increasingly at risk of extinction while both improving lives and maximizing positive environmental impacts through recycling scrap material. 2b Design’s mission was articulated as to “restore the unseen beauty of the broken.” “The broken” referred to the Middle East’s disappearing traditional heritage and to those people whose socioeconomic status or disabilities hindered them from leading a good life. 2b Design’s vision was to replicate the same concept in different countries beyond Lebanon. The founders were keen on exploring various channels that would gradually improve the impact of their business while meeting the dual challenge of long-term sustainability and the transformation of lives.

The year 2006 marked the beginning of 2b Design, a social business, established in Lebanon, and specialized in creating handmade furniture and decorative pieces. Raja Moubarak and his wife, Benedicte de Blavous, crafted their business venture around a focused social mission namely, preserving disappearing art, architecture and heritage through artistic creations and employing marginalized people particularly the handicapped and the unemployable. By collecting and using wrought iron and wooden pieces, found in scrap yards, from old Lebanese homes dating back to the Ottoman Empire, 2b Design managed to preserve a heritage that was increasingly at risk of extinction while touching and improving troubled lives and maximizing positive environmental impact and externalities through recycling and reusing scrap material. 2b Design's mission was eloquently articulated as to "restore the unseen beauty of the broken." By the broken, it referred to the Middle East's disappearing traditional heritage and to those people whose socioeconomic status or disabilities hindered them from leading a decent life. 2b Design's vision was to replicate the same concept in different countries beyond the borders of Lebanon. The founders were keen on exploring various channels that would gradually scale the impact of their business while meeting the dual challenge of long-term sustainability and transforming lives.

Ruwwad was a youth-centric community development organization aimed at empowering and supporting marginalized and underdeveloped communities in the Arab world. It had launched numerous programs revolving around three main components: 1) youth empowerment, 2) community empowerment, and 3) child development. Samar Dudin, regional head and program manager of Ruwwad, was reflecting on the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges that Ruwwad faced in its home operation so that she could present her recommendations to the board of directors (BOD) on Friday. Her main concern was to present to the BOD a reasoned plan on how to expand the Ruwwad model and how to strengthen the partnerships required to scale up the impact of the model in the future.

In 1982, Fadi Ghandour founded Aramex, a leading provider of logistics and transportation solutions with headquarters in Amman, Jordan. From its early inception, Ghandour strategically included principles and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability in the company's culture in order to align business interests and competence with stakeholders' needs. The community and environment were regarded as key stakeholders driving Aramex to act as a responsible citizen. Since its inception, Aramex had been involved in sustainability activities grouped into six primary areas: education and youth empowerment; community development; entrepreneurship; sports; environment; and emergency relief. Committed to growth and opening new offices globally, Aramex faced the challenge of preserving CSR as an integral part of its expansion strategy. In late January 2011, Ghandour and Hattar began brainstorming ways to address the need to harmonize CSR and sustainability values and practices across operations and ensure that sustainability principles were firmly institutionalized across branches and subsidiaries.

In 1982, Fadi Ghandour founded Aramex, a leading provider of logistics and transportation solutions with headquarters in Amman, Jordan. From its early inception, Ghandour strategically included principles and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability in the company’s culture in order to align business interests and competence with stakeholders’ needs. The community and environment were regarded as key stakeholders driving Aramex to act as a responsible citizen. Since its inception, Aramex had been involved in sustainability activities grouped into six primary areas: education and youth empowerment; community development; entrepreneurship; sports; environment; and emergency relief. Committed to growth and opening new offices globally, Aramex faced the challenge of preserving CSR as an integral part of its expansion strategy. In late January 2011, Ghandour and Hattar began brainstorming ways to address the need to harmonize CSR and sustainability values and practices across operations and ensure that sustainability principles were firmly institutionalized across branches and subsidiaries.

The project manager of the Partnership for Lebanon (PFL) and Cisco Systems’s regional director of corporate affairs for the Middle East and Africa met in September 2009, three years after the PFL was first initiated. The meeting primarily revolved around the challenge of sustainability and what useful suggestions they could put forward to their partners to ensure that the projects initiated through the PFL were not dependent on the continuous investments of the partners.<br><br><br><br>The PFL, a major partnering initiative in a post-war context, was initiated in September 2006 after President George W. Bush called for the assistance of U.S. companies to help in the relief and reconstruction efforts in Lebanon after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. The five companies involved were Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, Ghafari Inc., Occidental Petroleum, and Microsoft. They leveraged their core competence under five main work streams: emergency relief/response, job creation/private-sector revival, developing information and communication technology infrastructure, workforce training/education, and developing connected communities. Cisco took a leadership position within the PFL, establishing a management office in Beirut staffed by five senior full-time Cisco employees, and committed an investment of $10 million in the Lebanese private sector over a three-year period. The PFL’s corporate partners engaged closely with the Lebanese government as well as with various international and local NGOs to develop initiatives under the five work streams and yield a long-term sustainable impact.