The world's oldest family businesses are very successful in terms of longevity and resilience, but most are still competing effectively today despite rapid change

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: 1,3, University of Edinburgh (Business School ), language: English, abstract: The reasons of the successful longevity of many family businesses compared to the short life span of others are not far different from the reasons that glue together family members in a tied long-term relationship. In fact, especially after some generations, when the numbers of members would grow, blood linkages are not enough to guarantee the continuity of the relationship among family members. What makes family relationship last longer are shared values and sense of belonging. In our analysis of three well-established companies, Arco, Musgrave group and Berry Bro & Rudd Limited, we noticed that also family companies' longevity secret lies in these same principles that maintain together family members through different generations. Adopting family values and extending them to the company culture will determine the long-term survival of family relationship with the business. In the three companies we examined the internal understanding of family's values appear to define the entire organization's behaviours.

Alexander Schmithausen completed his studies after graduating in Economics and Business Administration in the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and USA. In 2012, he received a master's degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In addition, Schmithausen titled FInstAM, Fellow of the Institute of Administration Management Award. He received his PhD in Biostatistics at the LMU in Munich and attended the Columbia University in New York. He completed a management programme at the INSEAD Business School in France. As an assistant professor at the Ludwig Maximilian University, he teaches health economics and is a visiting researcher at the Max Planck Institute as well as a guest professor at the University of Cambridge. Mr. Schmithausen started his career in 2008 with an investment bank as a legal assistant. He has successfully managed the corporate development for several years as a project manager with the largest family-run hospital operator in Europe. Afterwards, in 2016, he took over as manager the heart cluster of one of the most renowned university hospitals in Europe. Currently, Mr. Schmithausen works as a consultant for an international strategy consulting in London and Munich Alexander Schmithausen hat nach seinem Abitur sein Studium der Volks- und Betriebswirtschaft in den Niederlanden, Deutschland, Südkorea und den USA absolviert. In 2012 hat er einen Masterabschluss der Universität Edinburgh in Schottland erhalten. Zudem wurde Schmithausen mit dem Titel FInstAM, Fellow des Institute of Administration Management ausgezeichnet. Zusätzlich erhielt er seinen Doktor in Biostatistik an der LMU in München und besuchte die Columbia University in New York. Ein Management Programm der INSEAD Business School absolvierte er mit Auszeichnung. Als Junior Professor an der Ludwig Maximilians Universität lehrt er zum Thema Gesundheitsökonomie und ist Gastforscher am Max-Planck Institut sowie als Gast Professor an der University of Cambridge. Herr Schmithausen startete seine Laufbahn im Jahr 2008 bei einer Investmentbank als juristischer Assistent. Mehrjährige Tätigkeit als Projektleiter der Unternehmensentwicklung für den größten familiengeführten Krankenhausbetreibers Europas hat er erfolgreich geleitet. Im Anschluss übernahm er im Jahr 2016 als Manager das Herzcluster eines der renommiertesten Universitätsklinika Europas. Zurzeit arbeitet Herr Schmithausen als Berater für eine internationale Strategie Beratung in London und München.