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Standing the test of time: External factors influencing family firm longevity in Germany and Spain during the twentieth century

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TLDR
In this paper, the authors compare the largest family businesses in Germany and Spain in the 20th century and find that they differ significantly in age and ask how external factors help us better understand these variances.
Abstract
While most research on family business longevity focuses on how internal corporate governance issue impact resilience, the aim of this article is to foreground the relevance of external environmental factors, and to do so in an internationally comparative perspective. By historically comparing the largest family businesses in Germany and Spain in the twentieth century, we find that they differ significantly in age and ask how external factors help us better understand these variances. After analysing the institutional framework of the two countries during the second part of the 20 th century, we explore the strategic responses developed in reaction to that framework by four of the largest family businesses in the two countries. With this, we strive to capture the interdependent nature of internal decision-making processes and external environmental changes, ultimately arguing for a more holistic understanding of family business resilience over time.

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Corporate Ownership Around the World

TL;DR: In this article, the authors present data on ownership structures of large corporations in 27 wealthy economies, making an effort to identify ultimate controlling shareholders of these firms, and suggest that the principal agency problem in large corporations around the world is that of restricting expropriation of minority shareholders by the controlling shareholders.
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Trending Questions (1)
How age of business owners influence operational resilience or resilience?

The article focuses on external factors influencing family firm longevity, rather than the age of business owners.