Chapter 9

Trends in Family Business and Future Research

The Increasing Presence of Women in Family Business

One of the most important changes within family business has been the significant increase of women in management and ownership. In the past, in most societies, it was the norm for the business to be passed on to the oldest son (primogeniture) upon the retirement or death of the founder. Up until 20 years ago, women were not usually considered to head the family business, especially in countries that had male-­dominated cultures. Only if there were no male successors were the women considered. Another barrier to women is if the family business is in an industry that is thought of as more masculine oriented (e.g., automotive parts manufacturing ...

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