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Professionalizing the Family Business

Experience of the Al Majdouie Group It is often said, that one of the key challenges of family businesses is to professionalize their structures in order to ascertain long-term success and competitiveness. Integrating the traditions and values of the family business founders into a system promoting meritocracy, does, however, not […]

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The Outstanding Value of Family Businesses

Insights from Hussein Shobokshi, Director of SHOBOKSHi Development and Trading The history of family businesses in the Arab world has been a turbulent one. Bearing incredible success stories as well as human tragedies, Arab family businesses have lived through all kinds of socio-economic changes. Challenges with new government policies, as […]

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Financing Growth in Family Businesses

As we move past the financial crisis, the global economy has become thirsty for growth. While the BRIC countries escaped relatively unscathed and have been enjoying buoyant growth, the economic picture in Eastern Europe and the Middle East has become polarised: businesses are either flourishing or continuing to suffer. Western […]

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Succession Deconstructed

Managing succession is one of the greatest challenges businesses face. By realising that it is a topic where the subjective perception trumps objectivity, and by accepting that there is no one right answer, family businesses can approach the issue with more structure, before it becomes a matter of urgency. Splitting […]

HR Systems in the Family Business

HR Systems in the Family Business

The Nuqul Group is one of the largest family-owned company in Jordan and the Middle East and has just celebrated its 60th anniversary. A business family is often mentioned in relation to its external achievements such as the establishment of brands, acquisitions, mergers, projects, and community involvement. Undoubtedly, however, when […]

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Managing Family and Non-family Employees

A dialogue between Amy Schuman and Dr. Stephen McClure What happens when you put two family business experts into one room? We have tested it with family business consultants and authors Amy Schuman and Dr. Stephen McClure from The Family Business Consulting Group, USA. Providing us with deeper insights than […]

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How A Focus on Sustainability is an Investment in Value Creation

Sustainability could be considered to be the alignment of the business within the market and environment in which it operates to maintain strategic flexibility and increase business longevity. This article by Edward Nicholson, Managing Partner at Mercator Partnership Limited, and Consultant to Maitland Group, demonstrates how businesses can incorporate sustainability […]

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Aligning Family and Business Culture – Creating Competitive Advantage

Originally an anthropological term within the social sciences, “culture” is, in everyday language, a word typically associated with the characteristics and customs of nationalities, religions or regions. Since the 1980s, the term “culture” has been applied to businesses and many companies now put considerable time and resources into strengthening their […]

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Forrey and Galland – Dreams Made of Chocolate

Interview with Isabelle Jaouen, Founder of Forrey and Galland, Dubai When walking past the many shop windows within the enormous expanses of the Dubai Mall, one of the largest shopping centres in the world, it’s easy to wonder what level of competition each store faces. Arriving at the colourful chocolate […]

Picture Courtesy of Fundacion NUMA

The Foundation of Family Business

 Interview with Jose Ramon Sanz, Founder of the Fundacion NUMA José Ramón Sanz belongs to the third generation of a business family responsible for automotive giant Dalphimetal, now in its fourth generation. With an abundance of support from each generation, the business has grown to generate wealth for both the […]