The current issue of the Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship (ZfKE), published by the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen, is a special issue focusing on the topic of research into family businesses.
The current issue of the Zeitschrift für KMU und Entrepreneurship (ZfKE), published by the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen, is a special issue focusing on the topic of research into family businesses.
Family businesses form the backbone of the economy in German-speaking countries. They are characterized by the particular tension that exists between the business and the entrepreneurial family. The incorporation of the variable that is “family” into the entrepreneurial behaviour of family businesses is a fundamental necessity when developing strategies for this form of enterprise.
The current issue of ZfKE brings together a fascinating selection of contributions from renowned authors, including on topics such as the regional importance of family businesses, management buy-in and buyout in family businesses, family relations and conflicts within family businesses and their effects on success, as well as controlling in family businesses.
Contributions from current research
The editors of this edition are Professor Sabine B. Rau, Chair for Family Businesses at the WHU and Director of the INTES Institute of Family Businesses at the WHU, and Professor Arist von Schlippe, Chair for Management and Dynamics in Family Businesses at Witten/Herdecke University and Academic Director of the Witten Institute of Family Businesses (WIFU).
The contributions were developed as part of the Witten Family Business Conference. The first conference dedicated to German-language research in the area of family businesses has been jointly organized by Witten/Herdecke University and the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management since 2011 and has now established itself as an annual event.
A prestigious academic publication
The ZfKE is the leading academic journal on SMEs and entrepreneurship in the German language and is published by Professor Urs Baldegger from the Institute for Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein, in collaboration with the University of St. Gallen. Editor-in-Chief Professor Sascha Kraus is Head of the Competence Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business at the University of Liechtenstein and has been examining the intersection between entrepreneurship and family businesses in his research and teaching since 2012.
Here, the main focus is on the analysis of issues specific to family businesses, especially in relation to strategy, organizational development, corporate culture, management and finance. Added to this are topics from “classical” entrepreneurship, such as growth management, internationalization and business planning, which are also of great relevance to family businesses in relation to sustainable development and asset security.
The present special issue provides an interesting overview of current topics in the research on family businesses.
Subscriptions to ZfKE can be acquired at www.zfke.de.
Further information:
Dr. Ruth Jochum-Gasser, Zeitschrift für KMU & Entrepreneurship (ZfKE), University of Liechtenstein, at +423 265 12 48 or ruth.gasser@uni.li.