Almost every family business that we have spoken to in recent weeks is being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Josh Baron and Ben Francois explain some of the preliminary results of a survey they launched that indicate that nearly 90% have seen some negative impact on their business. Some are fighting to stay alive or deal with a major decline in revenue. Others are dealing with greater demand and stressed supply chains. Most are feeling isolated as they make decisions that will shape their future. There are many great resources for businesses already available to manage the impact of the coronavirus. But family businesses differ from other companies in that their form of ownership gives them the ability to take critical actions that could help them through these difficult times. Family owners, who may or may not have executive roles in the company, have power that is often hidden or unappreciated. They have the right to change almost every aspect of how the company works: what it owns, how decisions are made, how success is measured, what information is shared, and how leadership is passed from one generation to the next. Through exercising their rights, family owners have the ability to position the company for long-term success or doom it to failure. Under normal circumstances these are powerful rights, which owners need to exercise thoughtfully. But in a business crisis, the power of owners is magnified. Unlike public companies, which typically focus on maximising shareholder value, family owners value objectives that usually go well beyond financial returns (e.g., family legacy, reputation). This crisis is forcing family businesses to make trade-offs among objectives that would have previously been unimaginable—all while dealing with the complex dynamics of a family. The stress, anxiety, and fear that come out in a crisis can amplify already challenging dynamics, paralysing decision making throughout the enterprise or causing conflict to spiral out of control. On the other hand, the crisis can be a call to action, causing family owners to ‘rally around the flag,’ put aside their differences, and take actions that allow the business to survive. Our survey shows a split between those reactions: 29% have seen some negative impact on family relationships, while 24% have seen a positive impact (the rest have seen no change). The ultimate impact of the crisis on your family business will be substantially shaped by how you, as owners, respond. Through the choices you make, or fail to make, the owners of a family business will affect how the crisis is managed by company leaders and what kind of company, if any, emerges on the other side. We will highlight five specific actions that owners need to take in order to ensure that company leaders – especially executives and boards – have the proper guidance and tools to respond to the crisis: 1. Define what type of family business you want to preserve. Which assets in the family enterprise must be maintained and where is there flexibility to sell or starve some parts to save the whole? Under what circumstances would you consider opening up ownership to employees, in-laws, or outside investors to bring in new forms of capital? Should you consider changing your model of family business ownership? At the heart of your family business are choices you have made about what you own together, who can be an owner, and how owners exercise control. Together they determine what it means to have a family business. You need to clarify whether any of these choices can be revisited or whether company leaders need to work within those constraints. 2. Review your governance structures and processes. Do you have the forums you need across the ‘four rooms’ of family, owner, board, and management? If you’re missing an important party during the crisis, how will you fill the gap? How will you make the major decisions you will be face? Are there certain decisions that the owners should be more or less involved in? Are you clear about who has authority to make key decisions? Do you need to revisit any policies you have set (e.g., dividend, family employment)? Or do you need to set new policies to deal with these unique circumstances? Managing through a crisis requires the ability to make major decisions faster than ever. Actions that might have seemed drastic several months ago can quickly become insufficient to meet the challenges faced by the company. Embedded in your family business is a way of working that may need to change. It’s up to you as the owners to ‘decide how you will decide’ during trying times. 3. Revisit your ‘owner strategy’ for the company. What values will inform your actions during the crisis? How will you make trade-offs among your stakeholders? For example, how do you prioritise the needs of employees (wages, benefits), customers (staying open, extending credit), and suppliers (paying bills)? Are there certain objectives for which you are willing to lose money (e.g., retaining employees, supporting the community)? Two-thirds of survey respondents say they have reduced or shifted operating expenses to preserve cash. Are you open to changing the company’s capital structure? Will you raise your borrowing limits if the company needs additional debt? Are you willing to recapitalise the company? Over 40% of the survey respondents are raising cash through new debt or equity. Will you reduce dividends? Around a third of survey respondents have cut them, or plan to. Owners have the right, and responsibility, to define what success means for the business. That involves making trade-offs among different objectives, financial and non-financial. Company leaders need to know what matters most to you so they can do their best to achieve it. 4. Use communication to sustain trusted relationships. How will you stay connected with each other, as well as the rest of the family? How will you remain informed about what’s happening at the company, as well as share your questions and concerns? What should be shared with employees about the state of the business and your commitment to it? How will you manage communication with the public and press, especially if tough decisions need to be made? One of the most valuable assets of a family business is the trusted relationships that are built over time with family members, employees, customers, suppliers, and the community. Trust requires transparency. Especially in a private company, the owners of a business control the spigot for how much information can be provided to stakeholders. Help company leaders determine what can be shared with each of your main constituencies. 5. Consider the implications for the transition to the next generation. Do current family leaders need to remain longer than planned to steward the family business? Or do they need to make way for fresh ideas and untapped energy? Should you accelerate current estate plans due to lower valuations? Or should you put them on hold because of the cost or distraction? How can you use this opportunity to teach future generations about your core values and principles? Family businesses that want to last for generations keep one eye on the present and the other on the future. In general, a crisis is a time to narrow the gaze. But it might also be the window in which to make changes that have been a long time coming. Company leaders will be looking to the owners to see to what extent transition plans need to be put in motion or on the shelf. There are no right or wrong ways to answer these questions. What’s important is that the owners, collectively, review each of these five areas and address the most important actions to take in each one to help the company leaders navigate the current crisis and prepare for the long term. Alignment is vital – companies with a unified ownership group can act decisively, while a house divided will not stand. We suggest you start by organising yourselves as owners to get the work done and stay aligned. How often will you meet? In what venue (in-person, conference call, video)? Who is in charge of setting the agenda and facilitating the meeting? Who else should be in the ‘room’ when you meet (e.g., company CEO or CFO, board chair, family office director)? In a crisis, the facts on the ground change rapidly. Owners need to find the right cadence that allows them to stay on top of the situation without overburdening the management team. On that note, 42% of respondents in our survey said they are more involved in decisions than they were before (less than 5% said they are less involved). Owners need to help business leaders by finding the most constructive level of involvement, which will likely be a balance of stepping in (‘all hands on deck’) and backing off (‘give us space to work’). Look for the places you should step up or back off. As you do your work, acknowledge the emotions and help each other through the ups and downs. Focus on your common purpose in getting the company through the other side intact. Staying together during the current crisis is essential to sustaining what you have already built. Families businesses possess financial and non-financial characteristics that allow them to out-compete other kinds of companies in normal and crisis environments. They are great employers, positive contributors to their communities, financially disciplined, and have committed owners. Productively harnessing the power of family ownership will help these vital companies to weather the current storm. About the Author - Josh Baron is a partner and co-founder of BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisers, and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. He is the co-author of the forthcoming Harvard Business Review Family Business Handbook (HBR Press, January 2021). Ben Francois is a Principal at BanyanGlobal Family Business Advisers, specialising in family business ownership strategy. This article first appeared on Harvard Business Review and has been reproduced with permission of the authors. Find out more by visiting the BanyanGlobal website here

The Walkers story begins in 1898 when the twenty-one year old Joseph Walker opened the doors of his own bakery with a loan of £50 and the ambition to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’. In the first year of business, Joseph used every spare moment to perfect his shortbread recipe. It was time well spent. Soon, shooting parties from the local estates were making detours just to visit Joseph’s bakery. As word spread and demand for his quality shortbread increased, Joseph took the first steps to expanding the business by moving to a larger shop in the Speyside village of Aberlour and investing in a horse and cart to deliver his baking further afield. 1930-1950 / The War Years During the 30’s, the business – like Joseph’s family – was expanding. Two of his sons – James and Joseph – joined the company, bringing fresh ideas with them. By 1936 they had introduced three valuable additions to the Walkers setup: a range of cakes, a selection of confectionery and…the company’s first delivery van. Now that Walkers produce could be sold at ever-greater distances the prospects for expansion were looking promising. Then came the war. Wartime rationing and their commitment to the Home Guard meant that Joseph’s sons couldn’t develop the business or their range of products as they would have liked. Despite these adversities, however, they kept the business going and their customers happy by supplying them with the same tasty breads and oatcakes to which they had become accustomed. 1950-1970 / From Aberlour to Harrods While some manufacturers began to cut corners by using margarine instead of butter, Joseph believed that people still appreciated the care that went into making a superior product like Walkers shortbread. And he was right. That’s why, even after Joseph Walker died in 1954, his sons knew better than to alter a winningly simple recipe consisting of just four ingredients: flour, sugar, salt and that pure creamery butter. As demand grew so did the business. By 1961, all three of James’ children – Joseph, James and Marjorie – had joined the company, making the third generation of Walkers working for the family firm. The workforce was now almost one hundred, and Walkers had a fleet of 14 vans as well as shops in Grantown and Elgin. Local grocers began stocking Walkers products, and the family had to invest in bakery machinery to help them meet demand. Naturally, they baked to the same high standards, simply on a larger scale. Soon their shortbread was on the shelves of fine food stores all over Britain. By the 1970’s, Joseph’s grandchildren had begun exporting Walkers shortbread to over 60 countries around the world – all of it still baked to his original recipe, of course. 1970-1990 / Growing Success By 1975 Walkers had outgrown their extended bakery and moved to a custom built factory. This gave us the extra space and facilities needed to develop new products such as our delicious Chocolate Chip Shortbread and speciality biscuits. Many of the people who worked for Walkers during this time are still with us today; most are local folk who often come from the same family – mothers working alongside daughters, fathers and sons. Community values have always been central to life in the Scottish highlands and the same is true of our business. Now, as a hundred years ago, Walkers test every new product in Aberlour’s village shop. Though today our customers are based all over the world, our products are still given their first seal of approval by the villagers of Aberlour. That way we can ensure that each cake and biscuit offers a real taste of Scotland. 1990-2008 / Delivering Goodness Whether it’s enjoying one of our traditional varieties or new products like our luxurious almond, ginger and chocolate covered shortbread, Walkers’ reputation has continued to grow as new customers the world over discover the quality of our baking. This has been recognised by industry over the years too, with Walkers picking up numerous international accolades including five gold Mondiale medals and the Food from Britain Innovation Award. 2008 – Present Day Much has changed since Joseph Walker baked his first batch of biscuits over a century ago. But, although we’ve updated many of our methods and are constantly adding exciting products to our range, some things remain a constant; Joseph’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have always remained true to that original ideal – to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’. In fact, when the family opened another factory at Elgin to produce their popular new range of shortbreads and biscuits, it was only on the condition that they would continue using the finest ingredients: plump fruits, aromatic spices, chunks of real chocolate and wholesome nuts. Find out more by visiting www.walkersshortbread.com

The Marinelli Pontifical Foundry is Italy’s oldest family business and among the three oldest family businesses worldwide. Campane Marinelli foundry has a very long history; the first bell was made around the year one thousand and since then their work has been a long sequence of success and honours. One of the most significant honour that the foundry can boast, is the possibility to use the Papal Arm Coast in their production; it was Pope Pio XI in 1924 to grant the privilege to the foundry. Campane Marinelli foundry, considered to be the oldest foundry in the world, is located in Agnone (Agnéune in the local dialect), a small Italian town of 5,200 inhabitants in the province of Isernia in Molise. The Marinellis have been handcrafting bells since 1000 AD, and current co-owners, operators and brothers Armando and Pasquale Marinelli are the 26th generation to run the business.

The story began in 1972 when John and Barbara Dunning, local farmers, set up Tebay Services in partnership with local bakers when the M6 cut through the Lune Gorge. It was the first and is still the only family run motorway service station on the UK road network – a small 30 seat café serving home cooked, locally sourced food. Forty years on and they are still there, still family owned, still farming and still with a fierce passion for, and a pride in, their landscape, their people, their environment and its products. In 1976 the Tebay Services Hotel opened, five minutes from the services. With its deep pitched roof reminiscent of mountain architecture, open log fires, real ale, a restaurant that serves home-cooked food and wide, sweeping views over the surroung fells, it has been welcoming weary travellers from far and wide ever since. Over the next 10 years, a Caravan Park and Truckstop joined the fold. In the year 2000, they opened a 90,000 square foot visitor attraction hidden under a grass roof on the edge of the Lake District. Today the Rheged Centre is home to a gallery, shops and cafés plus an IMAX-style cinema screen that regularly streams world-class opera, ballet, theatre and music events from around the globe. So the innovation continued. 2004 and back to Tebay where the family’s farming roots inspired the creation of two farmshops followed four years later with butcher’s counters promoting a ‘nose to tail’ approach to butchery – beef and lamb produced on the family farm, sold and butchered at their butchery units or cooked and served in their kitchens, ensuring that the use of local produce was as sustainable and accountable as possible. Ultimately, this is a family that know that if they stand still they start to move backwards. While they celebrate and are inspired by their heritage and roots, like generations of hill farmers before them, they understand that to survive and ultimately to thrive, they must continue to innovate, keep their ‘family’ and community close and always believe in what they do. Take a look at the inspirational story behind the making of the business that is all about the place, Westmorland.

The Walkers story begins in 1898 when the twenty-one year old Joseph Walker opened the doors of his own bakery with a loan of £50 and the ambition to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’. In the first year of business, Joseph used every spare moment to perfect his shortbread recipe. It was time well spent. Soon, shooting parties from the local estates were making detours just to visit Joseph’s bakery. As word spread and demand for his quality shortbread increased, Joseph took the first steps to expanding the business by moving to a larger shop in the Speyside village of Aberlour and investing in a horse and cart to deliver his baking further afield. 1930-1950 / The War Years During the 30’s, the business – like Joseph’s family – was expanding. Two of his sons – James and Joseph – joined the company, bringing fresh ideas with them. By 1936 they had introduced three valuable additions to the Walkers setup: a range of cakes, a selection of confectionery and…the company’s first delivery van. Now that Walkers produce could be sold at ever-greater distances the prospects for expansion were looking promising. Then came the war. Wartime rationing and their commitment to the Home Guard meant that Joseph’s sons couldn’t develop the business or their range of products as they would have liked. Despite these adversities, however, they kept the business going and their customers happy by supplying them with the same tasty breads and oatcakes to which they had become accustomed. 1950-1970 / From Aberlour Yo Harrods While some manufacturers began to cut corners by using margarine instead of butter, Joseph believed that people still appreciated the care that went into making a superior product like Walkers shortbread. And he was right. That’s why, even after Joseph Walker died in 1954, his sons knew better than to alter a winningly simple recipe consisting of just four ingredients: flour, sugar, salt and that pure creamery butter. As demand grew so did the business. By 1961, all three of James’ children – Joseph, James and Marjorie – had joined the company, making the third generation of Walkers working for the family firm. The workforce was now almost one hundred, and Walkers had a fleet of 14 vans as well as shops in Grantown and Elgin. Local grocers began stocking Walkers products, and the family had to invest in bakery machinery to help them meet demand. Naturally, they baked to the same high standards, simply on a larger scale. Soon their shortbread was on the shelves of fine food stores all over Britain. By the 1970’s, Joseph’s grandchildren had begun exporting Walkers shortbread to over 60 countries around the world – all of it still baked to his original recipe, of course. 1970-1990 / Growing Success By 1975 Walkers had outgrown their extended bakery and moved to a custom built factory. This gave us the extra space and facilities needed to develop new products such as our delicious Chocolate Chip Shortbread and speciality biscuits. Many of the people who worked for Walkers during this time are still with us today; most are local folk who often come from the same family – mothers working alongside daughters, fathers and sons. Community values have always been central to life in the Scottish highlands and the same is true of our business. Now, as a hundred years ago, Walkers test every new product in Aberlour’s village shop. Though today our customers are based all over the world, our products are still given their first seal of approval by the villagers of Aberlour. That way we can ensure that each cake and biscuit offers a real taste of Scotland. 1990-2008 / Delivering Goodness Whether it’s enjoying one of our traditional varieties or new products like our luxurious almond, ginger and chocolate covered shortbread, Walkers’ reputation has continued to grow as new customers the world over discover the quality of our baking. This has been recognised by industry over the years too, with Walkers picking up numerous international accolades including five gold Mondiale medals and the Food from Britain Innovation Award. 2008 – Present Day Much has changed since Joseph Walker baked his first batch of biscuits over a century ago. But, although we’ve updated many of our methods and are constantly adding exciting products to our range, some things remain a constant; Joseph’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren have always remained true to that original ideal – to bake ‘The World’s Finest Shortbread’. In fact, when the family opened another factory at Elgin to produce their popular new range of shortbreads and biscuits, it was only on the condition that they would continue using the finest ingredients: plump fruits, aromatic spices, chunks of real chocolate and wholesome nuts. Find out more by visiting www.walkersshortbread.com

The Marinelli Pontifical Foundry is Italy’s oldest family business and among the three oldest family businesses worldwide. Campane Marinelli foundry has a very long history; the first bell was made around the year one thousand and since then their work has been a long sequence of success and honours. One of the most significant honour that the foundry can boast, is the possibility to use the Papal Arm Coast in their production; it was Pope Pio XI in 1924 to grant the privilege to the foundry. Campane Marinelli foundry, considered to be the oldest foundry in the world, is located in Agnone (Agnéune in the local dialect), a small Italian town of 5,200 inhabitants in the province of Isernia in Molise. The Marinellis have been handcrafting bells since 1000 AD, and current co-owners, operators and brothers Armando and Pasquale Marinelli are the 26th generation to run the business.

For many years, partly as a result of their portrayal as ‘ma and pa’ lifestyle businesses, family firms have not been recognised for the true contribution that they make to the UK economy. In the current economic climate, family firms are being looked upon much more favourably not least because of their underlying values, plans for the future, longevity and desire to succeed. The contribution they make should not be under-estimated either with significant jobs being provided, communities being supported and the fact that family firms are truly the backbone of the British economy. So what makes working with family firms special and ‘Why do big corporates and PLC’s like doing business with private family businesses? Paul Andrews, Founder and Managing Director or Family Business United sums it up in three areas: 1 – Leadership From The Front First and foremost, family firms tend to be headed up by someone who has the family business in their blood, and as such doing business with someone who takes personal pride and ownership in their business makes them desirable to work with. Rather than simply doing business, family firms make it personal, traditional values such as honesty, integrity and personal service comes to the fore. No longer are you doing business with an organisation per se but a business that is owned and very often managed on a day-to-day basis by someone that cares about their business, and appreciates that delivering good, consistent customer service is key to driving the business forward. To that end, family firms provide a good relationship base with access to the key decision makers who are happy to engage with clients. 2 – A Sense Of History And Purpose Secondly, family firms have a history, tradition and legacy and tend to be around for the long term. Recent research done by Family Business United identified the ten oldest family firms in the UK and collectively they have been trading or over 4,200 years, no mean feat in the current climate and they have survived world wars, recessions and more besides. Family firms tend to plan for the future and are able to adapt and evolve to ensure the business survives. As the business transcends the generations there is a desire to succeed and pass a successful organisation on to future generations, and as such this can offer customers in the corporate world more security about who they are doing business with, and assurances that the business is in it for the long term. 3 – Because It Is Personal Thirdly, it is personal. Brand, name and reputation mean everything, especially when it is ‘your name above the door.’ Many family businesses have been around for generations, take the Warburtons, The Goring Hotel, Floris, JCB and Kinloch Anderson for example, and the family name is associated with everything that the business stands for. To that end, corporates know that they are dealing with a long established brand, one with values that permeate the organisation, and one with true values underpinning the work that they do rather than ‘corporate words, mission statements and meaningless charters.’ Family businesses are renowned around the world for being outward looking, in it for the long term, willing and responsive to change and sustainable and as such represent excellent business partners, many leading the way in their respective markets. Family firms represent more than 5 million firms in the UK economy, provide 12 million jobs and make up nearly half of all mid-sized businesses in the UK (£20-500 million turnover). Far from being small ‘lifestyle businesses’ families are behind some of Britain’s best known and loved brands and you may find that you are already working with some of them.

R J Balson Butcher provides great tasting West Dorset and Somerset meat from local farms less than 30 miles from their shop in Bridport. The business is over 500 years old and is currently run by the 26th generation of the family, Richard Balson, and is the oldest butcher and the oldest direct lineage family firm in the UK today, dating back to when in was founded in 1515. Paul Andrews spoke to Richard to find out more. What does your family business do? We are a retail family butcher based in Dorset and the oldest family owned butcher in the UK having traced our heritage back to 1515. How did you get involved? I was born in to the Butchery craft and I guess the outcome was inevitable really. What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a footballer but was not good enough. What are your first memories of the family business? Skinning rabbits at the age of 7 years old with my father. What values are important in your family/family business? Offering great service to the public with pleasure and pride. What is the best thing about being a family business? You are in control of your own destiny. You only get out what you are prepared to put in. And the worst? Unnecessary paper work, although this is probably the same for all businesses having to deal with the vast volume of red tape! What is the best thing about your working day? Looking forward to servicing my customers. What is your proudest family business achievement? Being recognised as not only the oldest, but being one of the best in our occupation. Is there a next generation waiting in the wings to take over? Yes, but when the time is right. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing family businesses? Staying ahead of the competition of the supermarkets. What words do you associate with family businesses? Top quality, personal service and commitment to customer’s requirements. Words of wisdom – What piece of advice would you pass on to someone thinking about joining the family business? Be prepared for long hours, plenty of hard work and you will reap and enjoy the benefits of being your own boss in control of your own destiny.

Hiring non-family executives helps ensure longevity, but it requires strategic finesse. In this article, Morten Bennedsen from INSEAD explains more about why next-generational succession is one of the main challenges facing family businesses globally today. Owner-managers who are confronted with this issue often have to turn to professionalising the family firm by bringing in outsiders. The process of professionalisation – transitioning from a founder-led company into a management-led organisation – is meant to enable founders to focus more on their core competencies. But it is very difficult to get right because it touches on emotional issues that non-family firms never have to confront. It can also lead to some unexpected consequences, as the story of Zhang Gang, the founder of the franchise-based restaurant chain Little Sheep, demonstrates. A Good Shepherd Born in China’s Inner Mongolia, Zhang turned a relatively unknown Mongolian lamb-based, hot-pot dish into a mainstay of Chinese cuisine in the early 2000s. Little Sheep quickly became a franchise group with hundreds of outlets. To attract and incentivise key people, Zhang shared the ownership with long-term employees and franchise owners who deeply respected his leadership. Although Zhang was still in control of the business following five years of rapid growth, Little Sheep counted more than 50 owners who were committed to building the franchise. Without the dedication of the non-family managers, Zhang could not have grown Little Sheep into the powerhouse that it became. He started a process that went from a one-man band to a full symphony orchestra. For many founders like Zhang, embarking on the professionalisation process is absolutely essential for the survival of the family firm. If family members are not available to take over the management of a fast-growing private firm, founders have no other choice but to recruit non-family managers externally. By professionalising the executive suite, founders can free up their precious time to expand the scope of their leadership and vision. They can focus on big picture questions to overcome roadblocks, by adopting new business strategies, starting new investment projects, making long-term plans, restructuring capital assets, conquering new markets or relocating production to other regions. Beyond The Next Gens By placing the operational side of the business in the hands of competent professionals, founders can ensure that their families and firms survive at least until a family member is ready to take over the top job. Having a long-term succession plan in place, even if it means skipping a generation, can make a company far more credible in the eyes of employees, customers, suppliers, investors, bankers and other stakeholders. During the professionalisation process, the core family values can also be transformed into an organisational culture that adds depth to recruitment, training and retention of talent. In addition, the more a founder can convince the next generation that the firm is managed like any other professional firm, the more likely family members will feel committed to playing an active role generation after generation. Professionalisation of the family firm can also attract investors such as new owners, bankers and venture capitalists in the public-equity markets. Three Key Elements Below are some of the key elements of the professionalisation process: 1 – Recruit non-family managers to the executive suite, while encouraging them to make decisions that are in line with the founder’s vision. By providing incentives to non-family managers, founders can benefit from their commitment to best practices. 2 – Develop strategic leadership whereby founders develop a two-pronged approach to management: For family members: Finding the right roles and jobs for current family members and next gens, so that the firm can continue to benefit from the interaction of generations. For founders: Taking less of an operational role and more of a strategic role in order to take the company to the next level. 3 – Empower the board by ensuring that the directors are fully engaged in the selection of non-family managers. In so doing, founders avoid the risk of destabilising the board when the time comes for the directors to function in the absence of the current chairman. By hiring non-family executives, founders can put themselves in a strong position to communicate their strategic vision, objectives and goals while infusing the family spirit into the organisation. Stakeholders can then stay focused on the operational and strategic direction in which founders are trying to take the company. Most founders have handled the professionalisation process by moving out of the executive suite and into the boardroom as chairman, while some have ultimately sold their businesses to outside investors. In fact, Little Sheep’s Zhang was one such founder. Having diluted his share of the ownership, he could no longer run the business the way he wanted it to be run. To avoid conflict with the board, he decided to sell his stake so that the business could survive and continue satisfying its customers. Its current owner Yum China has continued the business in pretty much the same way that the founder would probably have. In that sense, Zhang’s values live on. This article was first published on the INSEAD website and has been reproduced here with their permission.

The ability to carry on a successful intergenerational transfer of ownership and leadership (succession) is one of the most important issues facing a family business. This issue is plagued with conflict, and accounts for the majority of engagements with family business consultants. Succession has often been called the final act of greatness. How ideal for a family business founder to have his or her creation live on long after they are gone. Most family businesses do not have a successful transition of ownership from the founding generation to the second generation. Studies have generally agreed that about 30 percent of businesses transfer to the second generation, while only 10 percent to 15 percent successfully transfer from the second generation to the third generation. Only four percent manage to stay in the same family in the fourth generation. The majority of family firms want to keep the business in the family and pass it on to the next generation. The American Family Business Survey in 2002 found that 85 percent of the firms surveyed wanted to continue with family ownership. A family-owned business is more likely to fail due to lack of a succession plan upon the founder’s illness or death than for reasons having to do with competition or market forces. One survey reported 77 percent of failed family businesses that declared bankruptcy did so after the death of the founder. Many family business researchers agree that the primary underlying reasons for failed successions are a lack of effective decision making and a lack of proper planning. Often the failure to plan is caused by an entrenched owner who cannot concede power or will not tolerate a reduction in personal authority, responsibilities, or control. The reasons for this scenario are numerous and can be quite complicated from a psychological perspective. Often, the previous generation simply does not want to be put out to pasture. If they are the founders of the business, they often feel the company is their “baby” and their identity is closely interrelated with the company. Others equate retirement with death and simply do not want to discuss the issue. Of the CEO respondents to a large nationwide study, nearly one in seven reported they would never retire! This causes much consternation in the family, especially among the next generation members. The next generation waiting in the wings wonders when they will ever get their chance to lead. Awareness of the life cycle stages becomes apparent when initiating conversations regarding succession. Research has shown that at certain ages, the relationship of the founder and the successor can be either rife with conflict or relatively smooth. This is especially relevant with a father-to-son generational transfer. When a founder is in his relatively young 40s and 50s, and the successor is in his 20s or early 30s, the role conflict can be at its worst — and most visible. The current familial roles of each family member in their respective life cycles present barriers to effective communication and to efficient working relationships. If a founder is in his 60s or 70s and the successor is in his 40s, the competition and conflict typically is less, resulting in a more positive working relationship. There is often significantly less conflict between a father and daughter, and transfers of leadership can be very smooth between opposite genders. Reproduced with permission from Keanon Alderson and The Press-Enterprise Keanon Alderson Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Robert K Jabs School of Business, at California Baptist University in Riverside CA. His book “Understanding the Family Business” was published in 2011. He can be reached at kalderson@calbaptist.edu

Plan to succeed by considering both areas of succession as early as possible. Statistics have for many years shown that a depressingly low percentage of family businesses survive beyond the third generation. In many cases this can be from lack of forward planning and, in particular, an unwillingness to face up to creating a succession plan. So what needs to be done to ensure a smooth transition of the business to the next generation? Family businesses are extremely important to the UK economy. A report prepared for the Institute for Family Business by Capital Economics in February 2008 estimated that family businesses: Account for around 42% of private sector employment Account for around 38% of GDP in the private sector and Pay around £47 billion per annum in taxes to the Exchequer. Why Should Succession Be Such A Thorny Issue? The first point that needs to be made is that there are two types of succession, management succession and ownership succession – and each needs to be considered carefully and planned in advance. Management Succession A family member who is running a family business should be asking himself (or herself) a number of questions, such as: Who will run the business after me? family or non-family? If family, which family member? Who judges the most appropriate successor? Am I necessarily the right person or should I be consulting one or more third parties, for example any non-executive directors on the board or third party consultants? Are the next generation capable but not yet old or experienced enough to manage? If so, do I need to recruit a non-family member to run the business until they are ready, when hopefully it will become clearer which member of the next generation should lead the business? What further support, training, and/ or experience do the next generation need in order to succeed as managers? If there are no non-executive directors on the board, should I be appointing one in order to provide guidance for the next generation? Should I be managing my retirement in stages through a gradual reduction in hours? Chief executives of family businesses often find it difficult to let go and questions such as these tend to be considered too late in the day. In some cases this can threaten the survival of the business and so planning an orderly succession is absolutely vital. Ownership Succession When a family business is in its early stages, ownership may be relatively straightforward, with the shares typically being held by the founder or founders and possibly their respective spouses. All or a substantial majority of the shareholders will typically be working in the business. However, as the family grows and new generations emerge, the owners will need to consider a number of questions: Who do I want to inherit my shares? Should they be gifted or sold and, if sold, how should the price be calculated? Am I happy for the next generation to be entitled to the income from my shares but concerned that they should not yet have control of the business? If so, should I be thinking of having different classes of shares and/or putting all or some of my shares in trust? As further generations emerge and the business becomes more established, with not all family members working in the business and perhaps non-family executives involved in management, ownership can very quickly become fractured and further questions arise: Should shares be regarded as a capital investment which can be sold or as an asset to be passed on to the next generation? What should the general policy be on ownership of shares? Should ownership be restricted to bloodline family members or even to bloodline family members working in the business? If the latter, how will family members not employed in the business be “compensated” for their lack of shares? Should in-laws or non-family executives be allowed to own shares? If yes, what happens if the marriage fails or when the employment ends? There are not necessarily any right or wrong answers to the above and families will have different views. However, what is important is that these matters are considered by the family and an agreed policy is set out in the Articles of Association, a shareholders’ agreement or a family charter. As in the case of management succession, forward planning is essential.

Internationalising can be difficult for businesses, especially if their products are grounded in domestic cultural traditions and require the possession of some degree of cultural knowledge to be understood, used, and valued by foreign customers. But new research from the UCL School of the Management reveals three different “cultural strategies” available to these companies if they wish to succeed on an international scale. Success may require managers to explore opportunities to adapt the way products are designed, produced and sold, to bridge domestic and foreign values, traditions and preferences. Professor Davide Ravasi – together with Innan Sasaki, Warwick Business School, and Niina Nummela, University of Turku, Finland – looked at how businesses can navigate tensions between adjusting traditional products to foreign taste, while at the same time respecting their integrity and authenticity. They studied how a group of Japanese producers of heritage craft located in Kyoto expanded internationally over a number of years. The findings point to three strategies that can be used, alternatively or in conjunction, to make traditional products more appealing to foreign customers. “The first, selective targeting, focuses on segments of foreign customers that are sufficiently knowledgeable to appreciate the products in the original, unaltered forms. Managers we studied, for instance, initially targeted connoisseurs, collectors, migrant communities, and fans of Japanese culture more generally. They also actively tried to educate their customers about the cultural traditions that give meaning and value to the products." “The second, cultural adaptation, is characterised by the willingness to partially adapt products – or the way they are packaged or communicated – to foreign preferences and consumption patterns. Local distributors, here, can play an essential role by helping educate customers through cultural storytelling and other initiatives, or, conversely, by suggesting alternative uses of traditional products or adjustments consistent with local customs and preferences." “The third one, cultural transposition, uses collaborations with foreign designers to apply traditional aesthetic or technical elements to entirely different products – that is, using gilding techniques for temple furniture to decorate bathroom tiles – to be marketed to national and international customer segments attracted by the combination of tradition and modernity." “Both local distributors and foreign designers support these strategies by serving as cultural intermediaries – individuals who support development and sales of products of symbolic value by helping make them meaningful for consumers.” says Ravasi. The research found that the first strategy – selective targeting – rarely leads to substantial international sales, being dependent on the relative size of the culturally-savvy segments it addresses. Yet they found that 9 firms out of 10 first adopted this strategy as they internationalised. They introduced adapted products only after acquiring better knowledge and understanding of local tastes and preferences. Selective targeting, them, appears to be an important first step to acquire better knowledge and understanding of local tastes and preferences to support cultural adaptation – a more promising strategy that enables access to broader segments of foreign markets. In the one occasion where alterations were introduced directly in the absence of prior learning, failure occurred. By highlighting alternative strategies to support growth through internationalisation in traditional sectors, findings from this study have important implications for both managers and policy-makers interested in safeguarding cultural heritage and traditions, and using them as a source for competitive advantage in international trade.