The Global Business Family Initiative
What is The Global Business Family Initiative?
Most of the energy in our societies is channeled through business, most of which are family businesses. Therefore, the business families who own them have an enormous influence in defining where and how the energy of our society is channeled. In that sense, the moral quality of the business families is crucial not just for the wellbeing of its members, but for societies at large.
Nobility of Spirit is an initiative to help business families become aware of their power of influence and leverage the best of their qualities.
The Global Business Family Initiative consists of different activities and programmes to address three main issues that business families have to deal with: Performance, Purpose and Happiness. These key pillars can be harmoniously developed when there is Nobility of Spirit. Therefore, the GBFI is at is essence conceived as a collaboration with those business families who share this perspective.
Our contribution to the Global Business Families
Our activities include:
- Dissemination of three fundamental dimensions on which family business groups should develop (performance, purpose, and happiness).
- Integration of Nobility of Spirit as a key element for achieving a balance between the former dimensions.
- Programs that help business families develop their Nobility of Spirit and build on the three dimensions.
- Reflective dialogue that aims to search for the right questions to fundamental issues where powerful business families can reflect upon and explore how to engage in a world that needs courageous and moral leaders.
- Impactful research to develop conceptual models, instruments, and practices that can help business families in their quest for developing nobility of spirit and balance their performance, purpose and happiness objectives.
Report: "Perspectivas generacionales en la empresa familiar en España"
The Esade Entrepreneurship Instiute - Global Business Family Initiative and Lansberg Gersick Advisors have developed the study "Generational Prospects in Spanish Family Businesses" with the aim of understanding the interests and perceptions of the members of the different generations of business families in relation to the shared family project, as well as how to identify the main present and future challenges faced by the generation in charge and the youngest. In addition, the perspective of both generations is analyzed in relation to the development process of the new generation to become the leaders of the future.
Featured publications in English
Different strokes for different folks: The roles of religion and tradition for transgenerational entrepreneurship in family businesses.
Eze, N. L., Nordqvist, M., Samara, G. & Parada, M.J. (In Press). Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 45 (1).
The adoption of governance mechanisms in family businesses: an institutional lens.
Parada, M.J.; Gimeno, A., Samara, G. & Saris, W. (2020). Journal of Family Business Management.
The family business group phenomenon: Emergence and complexities.
Rautiainen, M., Rosa, P., Pihkala, T., Parada , M. & Discua-Cruz, A. (Eds.), (2018). London; New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Family Business Models.
Gimeno, A., Baulenas, G. Coma-Cros, J (2010). Practical Solutions. Palgrave McMillan
Featured publications in Spanish
El Diálogo socrático: un gran instrumento para la familia empresaria.
Gimeno A., Abenoza S. (2017). Harvard deusto business review (272), 36-43.
El Consejo de Administración en pymes familiares como espacio de aprendizaje.
Parada , M.J., Barredy, C. & Batac, J. (2019). Harvard Deusto Business Review, (286), pp. 56-64.
Estructuras de gobierno en la empresa familiar: de la formalidad a la realidad.
Parada , M.J. (2017). Harvard Deusto Business Review, (272), pp. 54-62.
Research Project: "Strategy, innovation and growth as drivers of sustainable performance: The case of Family Business Groups (SustainableFBGs)"
This reserarch funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de la Agencia Estatal de Investigación del Gobierno de España discusses the importance of family businesses in economies, particularly focusing on Family Business Groups (FBGs). In a context where family businesses contribute significantly to job creation and economic development, Spain is an example where they represent 90% of commercial companies and generate 60% of gross added value.
FBGs are a set of firms linked by formal or informal ties, often family-owned, with an entrepreneurial nature across multiple industries and countries.
There are research gaps in understanding FBGs, especially in developed economies, and the project explores how FBGs achieve growth and sustainable performance. It consists of four main research lines: unveiling FBGs and their complexity in Spain, studying their innovation strategies, examining their corporate governance, and understanding their sources and transmission of resilience for long-term sustainability.
The research project aims to investigate how FBGs manage internal complexity, grow through internationalization and diversification, develop governance structures, and transmit resilience across generations. This comprehensive approach seeks to provide a holistic understanding of FBGs and their role in creating value and ensuring long-term survival.
PID2020-112648GA-I00/AEI / 10.13039/501100011033
Principal Investigator: María José Parada & Jan Hohberger
Other researchers: Xavier Mendoza, Alberto Gimeno, Paula Infantes, Mario Lara, Lina Eze, Cristina Alvarado (UAB), Mattias Nordqvist (Stockholm School of Economics), Leif Melin (Jönköping Univ.), Timo Pihkala (Lappeenrata-Lahti Univ.), Marita Rautiainen (Lut Univ.), Naveed Akhter (Jönköping Univ.) & Allan Discua (Univ. Of Lancaster)
Funding body: Generación del Conocimiento 2020 - Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Funding: €27,757.40
Duration: 36 months
The Global Business Family Initiative members
Alberto Gimeno
Associate Professor, Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade
Co-Academic Director of the Global Family Business Initiative
María José Parada
Associate Professor, Department of Strategy and General Management at Esade
Co-Academic Director of the Global Family Business Initiative
José Fernandez de Álava
Corporate Development Director Global Business Family Initiative
Lina Eze
Visiting Researcher
Paula Infantes
Visiting Researcher
Cristina Alvarado
Visiting Researcher
Luciana Lucena
Visiting Researcher
Lucas Pinheiro
PhD Candidate, Esade
Featured programmes
Boards of Directors in Family Businesses
Target Audience: Family and non-family members who are currently part of the Board of Directors or want to/will join the board of directors. Externals who are interested in joining or are part of a board of directors in a family-owned business.
Building a Meaningful Life
Target Audience: Next Generation (18-24 year-olds).
Leading Family Business Transformation
Target Audience: Next Generation Managers (25-40 year-olds).
Leadership in the Family Council
Target Audience: Family Leaders.
Projecting the Business Family Towards the Future
Target Audience: Entire Family Unit.
How can you engage with us?
We encourage corporations, private and corporate foundations and financial institutions to join us and support our objectives:
- Inspire and help business families to navigate throughout these three dimensions (Performance, Purpose and Happiness)
- Offer instrumental support to business families who are interested in navigating these waters
- Help family businesses become a source of technological, organisational, and social innovation
- Catalyse interdisciplinary and holistic approaches to the family business and companies in general
- Introduce new perspectives to research
- Expand the field of family business research
- Be a source of social debate around the role of the company, ownership, and management
How can we help you?
Tell us which statements do you agree with in the following survey
María José Parada
mariajose.parada@esade.edu
Josep Alías
josep.alias@esade.edu