Family Wars: The Real Stories behind the Most Famous Family Business Feuds - Hardcover

Gordon, Grant; Nicholson, Nigel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0749446307 ISBN 13: 9780749446307

Publisher: Kogan Page, 2008

Synopsis

Many of the world's greatest businesses are family owned, and with this comes the threat of family feuding, sibling rivalries, and petty jealousies. Family Wars takes readers behind the scenes on a rollercoaster ride through the ups and downs of some of the biggest family-run companies in the world, showing how family in-fighting has threatened to bring about their downfall. Covering families such as Ford, Gucci, McCain, Guinness, Gallo, and Redstone, Family Wars is an astonishing expose of the way families do business and how family in-fighting can threaten to blow a business apart. Whether it's Brent Redstone's court case with his father and sister or the family feud over Henry Ford's $350 million trust fund, the book reveals the origins, the extent, and finally the resolution of some of the most famous family feuds in recent history. Family Wars also provides valuable advice for anyone involved in a family business, offering suggestions on how to avoid such problems.

About this title

About the Author:

Grant E. Gordon is the Director General for the Institute for Family Business. He is a fifth generation member and Non-Executive Director of William Grant & Sons, a family business that changed over from family to non-family leadership in 2000.

From Booklist:

The authors, a family business executive and an academic, present case studies of famous family companies, including Koch Industries, Mondavi, IBM, Bata Shoe, The Dart Group, the Redstones, Guinnesses, Pritzkers, and Guccis. The authors provide lessons for understanding the warning signs of family conflicts and contend that the winners are those who recognize the problems early and find a fair resolution. They note that the root cause of family wars usually is the founder, who, while a great builder, can also be a great destroyer. Gordon and Nicholson conclude that the objective in dealing with family wars is to come out of the battle wiser, stronger, and with more discipline. Advice includes the ability to embrace change by recognizing that today’s assumptions may not hold for tomorrow, understanding the impact of the evolving values of the surrounding culture, and achieving flexibility through open communication based on strong values and principles. Lessons from this excellent book apply primarily to family companies, although there is thoughtful leadership insight for other managers. --Mary Whaley

About this edition

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0749446307
• ISBN 13: 9780749446307
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288