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Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

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Centre for Family Business Management

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Director

Alfredo De Massis

Deputy Director

Paola Rovelli

Members

Vittoria Magrelli, Stephen Oduro, Marco Mismetti, Silvia Sanasi, Peter Trümmel

 

The Centre for Family Business Management is based in the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano within the Cluster of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Management and it is located at NOI Techpark.

The mission of the Centre for Family Business Management is to be at the forefront of family business research and thinking by (i) achieving excellence in research and education that adds new and meaningful knowledge to the theory of family business and produces impactful implications for the practices of family firms, and (ii) leading a community of scholars and practitioners in developing the global resources for catalyzing the international exchange of ideas on family business.

Since its inception in 2016, the Centre rapidly became the reference point, both locally and internationally, for research, education and knowledge transfer activities in the field of family business. Family businesses are indeed the most ubiquitous form of business organization in any world economy, and especially in Italy and South Tyrol, where family businesses traditionally drive entrepreneurial activity and play a leading role in social and economic wealth creation.

The Centre conducts international and interdisciplinary research, in collaboration with other research institutes, on the distinctive organizational goals, strategic processes, innovation, succession, and outcomes engendered by family involvement in business. More in detail, the member of the Centre develop and disseminate knowledge on family businesses and business families on topics such as: generational transitions and leadership succession, innovation in family business and innovation through tradition, family business competition, digitalization and technology management in family businesses, family goals and their role in the decision-making process, family firms’ organizational design, strategic management and internationalization of family firms, growth strategies and entrepreneurial development across generations, family businesses’ governance and professionalization, alliances and relations’ and social capital’s management in family firms, sustainability, philanthropy, and ethical and social issues in family business, marketing, branding and authenticity of family firms, and accounting and finance in family firms.

In the field of family business research, the Centre produces substantial and impactful research publications, ensures that the results of research are made available to family business leaders and business families, contributes to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral education, organizes international workshops and conferences attracting the leading scholars in the field, and exploits partnerships with other family business centres around the world.

The vision of the Centre for Family Business Management is to inspire and support a better management of family firms through its international and interdisciplinary research and education on the distinctive characteristics, goals, processes and outcomes engendered by family influence on businesses.