6SSMN310 ENTREPRENEURIAL FAMILY FIRMS

Lecturer: Dr Angela Martinez Dy Module Code: 6SSMN310

Assessment ratio: 50 40 10
Term: Second Credit value: 15 (optional)

One hundred years ago, the word business was synonymous with family, but
today the prevailing notion is that family and business are two very different
types of organisations. This module will explore this tension, which is noticeable
in the differences between family and non-family leadership, and economic and
non-economic goals within family businesses. Family firms, which are the
dominant organisational form worldwide, differ from non-family firms in their
governance, strategy, innovation orientation and communication. In particular,
they are challenged by issues of conflict management and succession in ways
that non-family firms are not. However, family firms are also diverse and
heterogeneous, and although research has found consensus on some general
trends and tendencies, there are some surprising outcomes that challenge
existing theories. As you will likely encounter family firms in your working life as
a customer, employee, business service provider, or possibly even a founder,
understanding the benefits and challenges of the family firm environment will
enable you to approach them in a more informed way.

This module will help you to:

analyse family firms based on their constituting elements, including the

family, the business in the marketplace, ownership, management and
governance.

apply theories from psychology, sociology, economics and strategy to key

questions in family firms.

identify and explain the critical role of entrepreneurship in the founding of

family firms and innovation in their sustainability

critically evaluate succession processes and connect them to different types

of family-business-interactions.

The module includes a practitioner panel, specialist guest lecturers and a live
case study.

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Entrepreneurial Family Firms module. This handbook is intended
to provide guidance to the student taking this module but due to the nature of
higher education some module information may be subject to modifications such
as the syllabus, reading lists and assignments. Teaching staff reserve the right to
make such minor changes in the matters covered by this publication and will
endeavour to publicise any such changes as widely and timely as possible.

TEACHING STAFF

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Module Leader Dr Angela Martinez Dy
angela.martinez_dy@kcl.ac.uk

Teaching Fellow Dr Victor Martin-Sanchez victor.martin@kcl.ac.uk

STAFF-STUDENT COMMUNICATION AND OBTAINING HELP

If you want to speak to Angela or Victor you can do so before or after the class.
You can also email us and we can arrange to meet. Group communications will
be made in class and online so please check your university email and KEATS
regularly.

The module material will be posted on KEATS. This will include:

A copy of this handbook

Lecture slides and tutorial material (at least one day prior to the
session)
Assessment deadlines, timetable changes, and other
announcements
Additional references, web links, links to videos, etc.

Students with any special requirements, please let us know and we will do
our best to accommodate.
Students wishing to make class announcements can do so at the
beginning/end of the sessions or via KEATS.
Suggestions for module improvement are welcomed.

MODES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Teaching is by way of sessions which are made up of research-led content, real-
life examples and case studies. Learning takes place through attendance at
sessions, participation in the interactive elements of the session, preparation and
private study. Throughout the module, careful attention will be paid to grounding
the discussion in relevant theory and academic content in practice through
cases, real-life examples, scenarios and guest presentations. Participation is
encouraged.

ASSESSMENT
50% exam
40% coursework (to be shared in good time for workload planning)
10% tutorial participation learning log

Evidence of participation will be through a weekly learning log of your in-class

experiences. Each entry should be approximately a half-page (A4) written
reflection of how you contributed (can include lecture participation, but should
focus especially on tutorial), what you learned, and any questions or thoughts
you have about the weeks material.

You should have a total of 9 entries, one for each tutorial. Please number each
entry. Entries should be submitted through KEATS in the Learning Log

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Submission section as soon after the associated tutorial as possible. The
entire log will be marked pass/fail and comprise 10% of your final mark.

MODULE STRUCTURE

10 hours of lectures, 9 hours of tutorials

All lectures will take place in WAT/F-WBG.79 on Tuesdays at 1-2pm from

17 Jan 28 March.
Tutorials will follow lectures (in various rooms, check your timetable)
and correspond to lectures from the preceding week.

Wee Date Lectu Tutori Topic Lecturer

k of (2017) re al
Term
2 17 Jan 1 Module introduction: Why and how AD
to study family firms (FF)?
3 24 Jan 2 1 FF in the Wider Business Landscape AD
4 31 Jan 3 2 Strategic Management in FF AD
5 7 Feb 4 3 FF Governance and Conflict AD
6 14 Feb 5 4 FF Dynamics Practitioner Panel Panel Rachel Woodward
and Deborah Clark
7 21 Feb Reading Week
8 28 Feb 6 5 Entrepreneurship and Innovation in LS
FF
9 7 Mar 7 6 Social Positionality and FF SM
10 14 Mar 8 7 Realities of FF Management Guest Speaker Andrew
Beales, Beales Hotels
11 21 Mar 9 8 Succession Issues in FF SM
12 28 Mar 10 9 Assessment Overview AD

Lecturer code: AD Dr Angela Martinez Dy (Loughborough University London), LS Dr Louise

Scholes (Loughborough University London), SM Prof Susan Marlow (Nottingham University)

READING LIST

CORE TEXT

Hoy, F and P. Sharma (2010) Entrepreneurial Family Firms. New Jersey:

Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-157711-4. (not available in Library)

OTHER USEFUL TEXTS

Melin, L, Nordqvist, M, Waldkirch, GK. (2015) Theoretical Perspectives

on Family Businesses Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. ISBN 978-1-78347-
966-5 (bound) /-8 (e-book)

Poutziouris, P, Smyrnios, K, Klein, S. (2008) Handbook of Research on

Family Business. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. (available in Library)

Nordqvist, M, Zellweger, T. (2010) Transgenerational entrepreneurship :

exploring growth and performance in family firms across generations.
Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (available in Library)

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Recommended academic journal articles specific to each topic will be
cited in the lecture material and listed at the end of the slide deck. You
are encouraged to read as widely as possible in areas of the subject that interest
you Google Scholar is your friend! In general, wider reading (beyond what is
covered in lecture) tends to correspond with higher marks.