Commentary

A Commentary provides thoughtful and insightful opinions or perspectives on events, policies or situations of interest to business owners, startups, educators, investors and policymakers. These should be short, readable, timely, interesting pieces that address current topics of interest, discussion or dispute.

Length: <1,000 words

Reviewed by Senior Editors


Family CEO Burnout: How to Prevent, Recognize and Deal With It

Between COVID, supply chain issues, armed invasions, unstable markets, and the great resignation with millions of workers leaving the workforce (Parker &amp; Menasce Horowitz, 2022) – or, more Read More...

Category: Commentary

Authors: Lars B. Sonderegger , Claudia Binz Astrachan and Joseph Astrachan

What All Family Businesses Can Learn From the Merck Family

The Merck family business dates back to this apothecary, founded in 1668. The German Merck family has succeeded where many business families have failed: Keeping a group of 319 family members, Read More...

Category: Commentary

Authors: Tom Rüsen , Claudia Binz Astrachan and Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp

Be Yourself: Advice For Women in Professional Services Businesses

A few years ago, at a major conference for financial planners, “Grace” and her husband were talking with some new acquaintances at dinner. One of them mentioned how admirable it was that Grace Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: Maria Considine King

How to Build an Innovative Mindset

In January 2021 I joined the Great Resignation and took an early retirement from the University of Minnesota (UMN). I had spent 12 years there teaching social entrepreneurship and managing&nbsp; Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: Fred Rose

How to Keep Remote Workers Inspired and Engaged

Like all kinds of firms, family businesses have undergone a culture shock because of the pandemic. After starting out in the pandemic’s early days as a survival mechanism, remote work is now Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: Jay Mulki

EIX, FamilyBusiness Surpass 15 Million Annual Page Views

Editor's Note: This article, originally published in July of 2022, has been updated periodically to reflect other milestones in readership. The most recent update was made July 1, 2024. On June 29, Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: Catherine Buday

Let the Next Generation of Family Firm Leaders Chart Their Own Path

While start-ups are typically known for their innovation, family businesses are seen as mired in traditions and stuck in the past. But recent research shows that the next generation of leadership can Read More...

Category: Commentary

Authors: Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander

Remembering Gordon Davis, Founder of Management Information Systems

Gordon Davis and Jim Wetherbe at the Celebration of 50 Years of MIS at the University of Minnesota in 2018. It takes a Herculean entrepreneurial effort to create and sustain a new academic Read More...

Category: Commentary

Authors: Brian Janz and James C Wetherbe

What Olivetti Style Teaches Us About Lasting Aesthetic Legacy

Lavazza. Alessi. Olivetti. Campari. These brands evoke images of products, advertisements, or memories of our past: the aroma of Lavazza coffee or an Alessi coffee maker at work, the sound of keys on Read More...

Category: Commentary

Authors: Peter Trümmel , Vittoria Magrelli and Alfredo De Massis

Check Out Our e-Fest 2022 Kickoff Video

Our 2022 e-Fest competition kicked off on April 28 with a video starring all 25 of our finalist teams. Share it with your teammates and friends, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay in Read More...

Category: Commentary

Author: David Deeds