Entrepreneurs in Every Generation

INTRODUCATION

In themselves, families are endlessly fascinating. They are the crucibles in which we learn to interact with and relate to those close and distant to us, to compete and love, and to make sense of the world. The basic assumptions governing families are derived from the emotional relationships in them.¹ A business, on the other hand, is task-oriented, created to produce a product or service that adds value for customers and owners alike. Its survival and longevity is determined by its financial performance over time. When overlapped as family business—all the complexities of making a living with all the dynamics of family membership—it is no wonder that there are so many variations, so many challenges, and so few one-dimensional, ...