Governance Challenges in Family Businesses and Business Families

Abstract

We use the articles and commentaries in this special issue to reinvigorate the theme of family business governance and extend its scope beyond the single business, single–family approach that has traditionally dominated the family business literature. Through a discussion of the implications of the articles and commentaries included in this special issue we begin to chart a new and expanded research program for governance that addresses the challenges of the large and complex multifamily and/or multibusiness family enterprise. We hope to encourage research in a direction that will add significantly to our understanding of business families’ contributions to the global economy.