Was Familienunternehmen aktuell bewegt

This practical article examines the issues that are currently of particular concern to family businesses and entrepreneurial families. It is based on the study „A Focus on Family Business“, in which members of German family-owned businesses and entrepreneurial families were surveyed about their key challenges and research priorities in the areas of business, family and ownership.

The findings show that it is not so much individual issues as their simultaneous occurrence that poses a key challenge. In a corporate context, strategy and political and social framework conditions are becoming particularly important. Within the entrepreneurial family, succession and family governance remain key factors, whilst conflict management and family cohesion are coming more into focus. At the ownership level, inheritance tax and regulatory and political issues remain at the forefront. From these thematic areas, the authors derive three research pathways for companies, families and ownership, which can serve as a guide for future practice-oriented research projects.

Furthermore, the article examines how scientific findings can be effectively translated into practice. A comparison with a survey conducted in 2017 reveals a growing demand for formats that present research in an accessible way and make it immediately applicable. Lectures, practical guides and dialogue-based initiatives are particularly in demand. The article thus makes it clear that practice-relevant research should not only take into account the complex interrelationships between business, family and property, but should also communicate its findings in a way that is tailored to the target audience and focused on practical application.