Family Business

Since its foundation in 2016, the Family Business Center has carried out applied research projects in close collaboration with family businesses in order to help family owners maintain and further increase their economic strength in a sustainable manner.

 

Succession

Research into succession in family businesses focuses on analysing strategies and mechanisms for the successful transfer of management and ownership. Key questions include identifying successors, analysing transition processes and assessing the impact on business performance and family relationships. Both individual factors such as the abilities and motivation of successors and structural aspects such as governance models and corporate culture are taken into account.

Family Governance

Research on family governance aims to develop and analyse governance systems to manage the complex relationship between family and business. It looks at issues of power distribution, decision-making and conflict resolution within the family and between family members and external stakeholders. An interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from management, sociology and psychology to identify and develop effective governance structures.

Family Identity

Family identity research is concerned with analysing the symbolic and narrative elements that shape the unique identity of a family business. Here, rituals, stories and shared values are regarded as central objects of investigation in order to understand the cohesion within the family and its influence on the family business. Qualitative methods such as interviews and case studies are used to explore the dynamic processes of identity formation and transformation.

Next Generation

Research on the Next_Gen in family businesses focuses on the development and integration of young family members into the management of the business and the family legacy. Questions of individual development, the transfer of entrepreneurial skills and coping with role expectations are analysed. A systemic approach takes into account the interactions between family, business and societal contexts in order to identify successful strategies for promoting the next generations.

Contact
Prof. MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer | Head of Family Business Center Family Business Center
Prof. MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer Head of Family Business Center +43 512 2070 - 7100

If you have any questions regarding this research area, please contact us: 
familybusiness@mci.edu

Research & Transfer Centers
Prof. MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer | Head of Family Business Center Family Business Center
Prof. MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer Head of Family Business Center +43 512 2070 - 7100
Mag. Gundula Glowka | Lecturer Bachelor's program Management, Communication & IT
Mag. Gundula Glowka Lecturer +43 512 2070 - 3534
Prof. Dr. Teresa Spieß | Organizational Psychology & Change Management Bachelor's program Management, Communication & IT
Prof. Dr. Teresa Spieß Organizational Psychology & Change Management +43 512 2070 - 3525
Marvin Assenmacher, MSc | Doctoral Student Family Business Center
Marvin Assenmacher, MSc Doctoral Student +43 512 2070 - 7143
Stefanie Haselwanter, BA MA | Teaching & Research Assistant Bachelor's program Entrepreneurship, Tourism & Leisure Business
Stefanie Haselwanter, BA MA Teaching & Research Assistant +43 512 2070 - 3342
Asst. Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD | Lecturer Bachelor's program Nonprofit, Social & Health Care Management
Asst. Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD Lecturer +43 512 2070 - 3735
Dr. Birgit Bosio | Lecturer Master's Program Entrepreneurship & Tourism
Dr. Birgit Bosio Lecturer +43 512 2070 - 3327
Dr. Leena Kasbekar | Senior Lecturer<br />Assistant & Project Manager International Relations
Dr. Leena Kasbekar Senior Lecturer
Assistant & Project Manager +43 512 2070 - 1625
Denise Fecker, MSc | Lecturer Bachelor's program Entrepreneurship, Tourism & Leisure Business
Denise Fecker, MSc Lecturer +43 512 2070 - 3343
Mag. (FH) Florian Sexl, BA MSc MBA | Doctoral Student Family Business Center
Mag. (FH) Florian Sexl, BA MSc MBA Doctoral Student +43 512 2070 - 7142

ULYSSES Ulysses Contest – Digital Student Competition on Family Business
Duration:
2021 - 2023

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Ass. FH-Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD

Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc

Katharina Beckert, MSc
Description:
The need for acquiring entrepreneurial and digital competences is not limited to learners seeking careers as commercial entrepreneurs or as employees within the IT sector, but rather extends to "all walks of life" as EU policy makers have repeatedly emphasized [1,2,3,4]. Consequently, the importance of entrepreneurship education (EE) and digital education (DE) as integral part within university studies has been prioritised in recent years [4,5]. Despite those recognised needs on the policy side, attention given to EE and DE in higher education (HE) programmes still remains rather elusive [6,7]. In fact, the Covid 19 pandemic merciless shows that DE, in particular, requires a place at the nucleus of academia and cannot be dealt with as side issue at the dawn of the digital age [4]. Ultimately, existing shortcomings with regards to EE and DE within HE causes a sub-optimal exploitation of entrepreneurial potentials as well as a substandard deployment of digital technologies at later stage of careers (in academia or world of work outside HE). Our project "Ulysses Contest - Digital Student Competition on Family Business" (ULYSSES) has been designed to address these deficits. It focuses on university students that are keen to gather practical entrepreneurial learning experiences and want to enhance their digital skills. ULYSSES will provide this combined chance by setting up the 1st digital European student competition that focuses explicitly on family businesses (FB).

Strategic positioning: Analysis of strategic options for the support of the competitiveness of family businesses in tourism
Duration:
2016 - 2019

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Ing. Mag. Martin Danler

Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc

Mag. Gundula Glowka

Ramona Pfeifer, BA MA
Description:
Aim of the project is to conduct a basic research study appraising the status quo of the strategic positioning of family businesses in tourism, the analysis of problems and the development of a portfolio with strategic options for the respective family businesses. Based on the relevant problems for Tyrolean family-operated businesses in the tourism sector, solution approaches are formulated and released as strategic recommendations. Thus, the guidelines reveal the necessity of strategic planning and hands-on implications give example for its implementation, so that the study contributes to the support of the Tyrolean businesses' competitiveness. The project addresses the research question: Which strategic options emerge for touristic family businesses with respect to their competitiveness.

Family Businesses and Personnel Strategies of the Future
Duration:
2019 - 2022

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. Dr. Teresa Spieß

Team:
Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc
Description:
The aim of the project is to find out conditions under which the communication of family involvement can have a positive or negative impact on the perceived attractiveness of Tyrolean family businesses. In addition, the influence of the potential applicants' individual differences in this regard will be examined. A special focus is set on the so-called generations Y and Z (born from 1980). In addition to a structured literature analysis, within the project qualitative and quantitative data will be collected, evaluated and interpreted in order to answer the central questions. Finally, recommendations for practice will be derived and made available. In particular, small and medium-sized Tyrolean family businesses will gain valuable information for their future personnel strategies, especially with regard to communicating family influence in employer branding processes. This information can help Tyrolean family businesses to recruit talented and well-educated employees of generations Y and Z on the labor market of the future and thus be prepared for the increasing digitization.

Requirements for the risk management in small and medium sized family businesses in Tyrol
Duration:
2019 - 2020

Project Lead:
Mag. Gundula Glowka

Team:
Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc
Description:
The TWF project analyses risk situation and awareness of family businesses in Tyrol. A lack of risk awareness is able to lead to negligence of a firm's risk management damaging the business performance in the medium run. The mixed method design gathers requirements for risk management of small and medium sized family businesses in Tyrol in order to detect possible negative consequences and to develop prevention strategies.

Succession planning in small family businesses
Duration:
2019

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc
Description:
This research project aims at analyzing strategic succession planning as well as success factors and barriers of succession processes in small family firms in Austria and Hong Kong by means of a qualitative research design. The elaboration of idealistic succession solutions shall raise the awareness of family firms and policy implications for subsidies and funds shall actively support the initializing of succession processes in small family-run businesses.

The factor employees in touristic family businesses - a Status Quo analysis of the employee-image using the example of hotel businesses and gastronomy in Tyrol
Duration:
2018 - 2019

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Katrin Schwaiger, MA

Mag. Gundula Glowka

FH-Prof. Dr. Christoph Engl

FH-Prof. Mag. Hubert J. Siller
Description:
This project aims at determining the sectoral identity of entrepreneurs and employees working in the hotel business and gastronomy in tourism. In addition, employee-satisfaction and improvement activities are examined. Main question addressed is how stakeholder perceive the image of their sector. Therefore, the sector's strengths and weaknesses are analysed from the viewpoint of entrepreneurs and employees as well as the leadership principles and satisfaction of the employees in terms of management, payment etc. Thus, the analysis clarifies how stakeholder perceive the sector and identifies the aspects needing actions. In connection with the results, practical implications for family businesses in tourism are proposed.

Destination Commitment
Duration:
2019 - 2021

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Katrin Schwaiger, MA
Description:
The aim of the project is to survey the loyalty of tourism employees to their destination. The project is primarily concerned with the following central questions: How do employees in the family-run Tyrolean hotel industry assess their own attachment to their place of work, i.e. the tourist destination, and what can be derived from this for a socio-economically sustainable destination and ultimately company development?

EICAA Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship Competences Assessment Alliance
Duration:
2021 - 2024

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Ass. FH-Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD

Mag. Christine Pirhofer

Mag. Gundula Glowka
Description:
EICAA aims to promote entrepreneurship and innovation skills. For this purpose, a survey to measure entrepreneurship and innovation skills is being created, the development of which is based on the internationally accepted EntreComp Framework of the EU Commission. For each of the competencies, teaching modules for Higher Education Institutions and their students as well as for Business training for enterprises and employees are being developed in the project. The survey of entrepreneurship and innovation skills is tested in advance and piloted on a large scale at universities and companies.

Project homepage:
https://www.eicaa.eu

PIETE - Partnership for Initial Entrepreneurship Teacher Education
Duration:
2018 - 2021

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Mag. Christine Pirhofer

Ass. FH-Prof. Mag. Desiree Wieser, PhD
Description:
In order to promote entrepreneurial skills, which the European Union sees as key competences for lifelong learning, the Erasmus + project PIETE - "Partnership for Initial Entrepreneurship Teacher Education" was started in autumn 2018. The Erasmus + project PIETE is a strategic partnership that aims to anchor entrepreneurial skills in initial teacher education and to promote the establishment of a new generation of entrepreneurial teachers. The project builds on so-called tandem constellations, in which experts from the field of initial teacher education work together with experts from the field of entrepreneurial education. The project is managed by a strategic partnership between Univations - Institute for Knowledge and Technology Transfer at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (project management), the Technical and Humanistic Academy in Bielsko-Biała, the Katowice University of Economics, the University of Szeged, MCI The Entrepreneurial School ®, the University of Teacher Education Tyrol and the renowned University Industry Innovation Network (UIIN). The planned initiatives of the strategic partnership include the implementation of workshops with the aim of establishing a mutual understanding of the need for entrepreneurial education in initial teacher education, as well as the development of a modular teaching compendium that should enable partner institutions to integrate entrepreneurship education into their initial teacher education programs. Before doing so, the project team will conduct a study on the understanding of entrepreneurship education in initial teacher education throughout Europe. This study is supplemented by a best-practice collection, in which best-practice European initiatives for imparting entrepreneurial skills in higher education are illustrated.

Project homepage:
https://www.entrepreneurialteachers.eu/

Digitalization, Social Media and the Family Business | Follow-up project
Duration:
2017 - 2018

Project Lead:
FH-Prof. PD MMag. Dr. habil. Anita Zehrer

Team:
Valerie Nickel, BSc BSc MSc
Description:
Based on our findings in the preceding project (EPU 45/2016), the prolongation of the project will allow gathering more relevant data from family businesses in Austria and Asia, which benefits generalizability of our results to a population at large. Due to the family system and the business system in a family-run firm, it is difficult to find family businesses which are open to talk about strategic issues of their firm, such as digitalization, since both systems are interrelated and the family factor ‘familiness' is omnipresent (Sharma et al. 1997; Chrisman et al., 2007; Frank et al. 2010). This strong interference between family and business exerts influence on the business processes (Chrisman et al., 2008; Sharma et al., 1996).


  • Glowka, G., Zehrer, A., Leifeld, L. (2022). Values of Centenarian family firms as a source of success. Corporate Governance and Research & Development Studies, n. 1-2022, p. 33-53.
  • Innerhofer, J., Nasta, L. & Zehrer, A. (2024). Antecedents of labor shortage in the rural hospitality industry: a comparative study of employees and employers. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 7(1), 28-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-04-2022-0125
  • Zehrer, A., Leiß, G., Krusekopf, C., & Wilsonmah, R. (2020). The Peak Hotel – The Challenge of Succession and Family Firm Continuity. The International Journal of Instructional Cases, 4, 1-9.
  • Zehrer, A., & Raich, F. (2022). Employer Branding in Familienunternehmen - Besonderheiten zur Etablierung einer attraktiven Arbeitgebermarke in familiengeführten touristischen Unternehmen. In: Bieger, T., Beritelli, P., & Laesser, Ch. (Hrsg.), Krisenbewältigung und digitale Innovationen im alpinen Tourismus. Schweizer Jahrbuch für Tourismus 2021/2022. Berlin: ESV Verlag, 159-169.
  • Leiß, G., Leifeld, L., & Zehrer, A., (2021). Ist der Ruf erst ruiniert – Fünf Achtsamkeitspraktiken zur Vermeidung von Krisen und Skandalen in Familienunternehmen. FuS – Zeitschrift für Familienunternehmen und Strategie, 3, 88-94.
  • Schönherr, S., Raich, F., Zehrer, A., & Pikkemaat, B. (2023). Exploring Generation Y's perception of family-run hotels: The perceived family firm image. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13567667231178319
  • Schwaiger, K., Zehrer, A. & Spiess, T. (2021). The influence of symbolic and instrumental attributes of employer image on perceived industry attractiveness: differences between business owners and employees. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 5(3), 567-587. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-12-2020-0234
  • Muskat, B., Hörtnagl, T., Peters, M., & Zehrer, A. (2021). Innovation capability and culture: How time-orientation shapes owner-managers’ perceptions. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 217-227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.03.018

  • Campos, V., Zehrer, A., Ejarque, A.T., Wieser, D., Saurwein, L. (2024). Sustainable leadership development in family firms, the role of nonfamily managers. ACEDE workshop on Family firms “Empresa familiar”. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, January, 25, 2024. Madrid, Spain
  • Schwaiger, K., Braun, B., & Zehrer, A. (2021). Destination Commitment of Generation Y and Z Tourism Employees in the Alpine Destination of Kitzbühel. 11. Konferenz der deutschsprachigen Forschungszentren und Institute für Familienunternehmen (FIFU Dachli), 25.-26. Feburar2021. Hamburg, Deutschland.
  • Glowka, G., & Zehrer, A. (2021). Risikomanagement in klein- und mittelstrukturierten Familienunternehmen. 11. Konferenz der deutschsprachigen Forschungszentren und Institute für Familienunternehmen (FIFU Dachli), 25.-26. Feburar2021. Hamburg, Deutschland.
  • Nickel, V., & Zehrer, A. (2021). Tiroler Familienunternehmen: Rollenkonstruktion in der Führungsebene. 11. Konferenz der deutschsprachigen Forschungszentren und Institute für Familienunternehmen (FIFU Dachli), 25.-26. Feburar2021. Hamburg, Deutschland.
  • Beckert, K., & Zehrer, A., (2023). Role identities and work boundaries in family firms. International Family Business Research Day, March 14, 2023 online.
  • Assenmacher, M., & Zehrer, A. (2024). The digital entrepreneurial family. Exploring Innovation in Family Enterprises: A Systematic Review. FIFU DACHLI. 11.-13. März 2024, München, Deutschland.