On completion of the course the students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge about common characteristics and challenges of family businesses.
2. Describe the main theories and concepts within the field of family business research and practice.

3. Demonstrate an ability to analyse practical problems in family business contexts by applying appropriate knowledge resources.
4. Demonstrate an ability to analyse and apply family business theories and concepts to different critical situations in family businesses.

5. Critically evaluate the use of concepts and models used to understand family businesses.
6. Demonstrate an ability to reflect upon common challenges facing family businesses in practice, and develop a way to address these challenges.

This course deals with leading and developing family businesses; the most common type of organization in the world. The course addresses different organizational, strategic and governance aspects of this type of organizations, including the role of owners, family and non-family managers, advisors, board members as well as employees in developing and renewing family businesses. We explore key issues related to the dynamics of different types of family business (e.g. both small and large, both private and publicly listed), such as entrepreneurship, strategy development, culture, succession and management, and more. The course takes an international perspective on these issues.
The course is specially designed for those who are interested in working in (e.g. as owner and/or manager) or with (e.g. as advisor and consultant) family businesses.

The course combines lectures and seminars led by professors and researches with guest lectures by managers and/or consultants with long experience. Lectures and seminars require students' active participation. The course may also draw upon experiential learning practices, such as showing and discussing movies.

The teaching is conducted in English.

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (or the equivalent).

The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.

ILO 2, 3, 5 & 6: Group projects
ILO 1, 3, 4 & 5: Individual final exam and participation in lectures and seminares
Examination takes place through group projects (40%) and individual final exam and active participation in lectures and seminars (60%). All parts of the examination must be approved to receive a grade on the course.

Name of the Test	Value	Grading
Examination1	7.5 credits	A/B/C/D/E/FX/F

¹ Determines the final grade of the course, which is issued only when all course units have been passed.

At the outset of the course the course manager ensures that course evaluators are elected (or exist) among the students. The course evaluation is carried out continuously as well as at the end of the course. On the completion of the course the course evaluators and course manager discuss the course evaluation and possible improvements. The result is reported to, among others, the Associate Dean for Education, the Council for Undergraduate and Master Education, and the Board of Directors of JIBS. The course manager shall at the outset of the following course report results and measures taken in the previous course evaluation.

Compendia: Cases (3-5) and selected academic articles (10-15).

Course book: Hoy, F. & Sharma, P. (2010), Entrepreneurial family firms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.