Let’s not go there – Taboos in Family Business

Family businesses and the families that own them are known for their secrecy and discretion. Keeping a low profile can provide useful benefits — for example, protection from business competitors or predatory media. However, secrecy in the form of taboos can harm individual and family development and sometimes endanger family business survival. This article by Tom Rüsen and Torsten Pieper lays out the most common taboos that arise in family businesses and describes strategies to diagnose and deal with them.