Understanding the family businesses : a case study from Brazil

This thesis demonstrates through a case study of a 3 rd generation family business, the strengths and challenges of family businesses. It focuses on common problems facing family businesses such as family member interference, conflicts, and the absence of a succession plan. It also explores the various definitions of family business, the relevant research and data, cultural influences, and the unique benefits of family businesses. The case study is of a successful global Brazilian family business that was formed over 50 years ago by a family of immigrates that came to Brazil at the turn of the twentieth century. The family business grew from a small village market to a major international transportation, fruit production and export firm. The study highlights the importance to family firms of succession planning. It also illustrates how family businesses propel the economic growth in today's capitalist global economy, especially in emergent nations. Some of today's most powerful global firms started as family businesses and many are still under family control or family influence. Finally, this thesis offers some recommendations to next generations to help families understand how to perpetuate their businesses.

Department dc:contributor.department

Sloan School of Management.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Schio Junior, Luis Eduardo

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• John Van Maanen.

• Sloan School of Management.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111455

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/111455