Conflict in family businesses: Conflict, models, and practices

Abstract

This book presents methods for dealing with conflict in family firms. The first part of the book defines conflict in general and then in the context of family businesses. It then identifies several approaches to dealing with conflict. As the author makes clear, conflict can negatively impact the performance of a family firm while unresolved conflict often results in unsuccessful transition to the next generation. Therefore, she presents a model that looks at the causes of conflict and ways of resolving it. The second part of the book presents case studies of conflicts in family business, examining such companies as Gucci and L'Oreal and applying the theory. This book will serves as a foundational text in managing disputes in family enterprises.