Product Description

Generation to Generation presents one of the first comprehensive overviews of family business as a specific organizational form. Focusing on the inevitable maturing of families and their firms over time, the authors reveal the dynamics and challenges family businesses face as they move through their life cycles. The book asks questions, such as: What is the difference between an entrepreneurial start-up and a family business, and how does one become the other? How does the meaning of the business to the family change as adults and children age? How do families move through generational changes in leadership, from anticipation to transfer, and then separation and retirement? This book is divided into three sections that present a multidimensional model of a family business. The authors use the model to explore the various stages in the family business life span and extract generalizable lessons about how family businesses should be organized.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #301430 in Books
• Published on: 1996-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 302 pages

About the Author
Ivan Lansberg is an organizational psychologist who grew up in a family business.

Customer Reviews

A great resource
I have found this book extremely useful.
It is a little more theoretical than many others of its kind and is certainly not intended as a quick-to-use fact based reference book. Despite being at the theoretical end of the spectrum it is still very easy to read.
What this book really provides is a roadmap or structure to help the reader think about family businesses, the opportunities they provide and the challenges they present. As with all the best roadmaps it gives the reader a great structure to think about the subjects covered, provides an extremely comprehensive bibliography and suggests where to go looking for further help.

An excellent book for anyone interested in family businesses
I think this is one of the best books available on family businesses! I found it insightful and informative. I think anyone interested in the subject should read this book. I strongly disagree with the review that describes this book as "too theoretical." I found it immensly practical.

Excellent roadmap for family firms
This is a mandatory book for all the people involved in the management of family businesses. I highly recommend it!!!