SM9643 - Family Business Studies

The module will be delivered by lectures (1 hours) and seminars (2 hour) and will be assessed by a 3000 word assignment at the end of the semester (75%) and by group presentations (25%). The module will develop student knowledge of family business management, growth and survival via the use of illustrative case studies and research-based approaches. Interaction with live practitioners and family business owners with opportunities to learn from extant family businesses will enhance the learning experience. A series of guest speakers will be invited to deliver sessions on specific issues and challenges in family business management and how theories apply to their own businesses. The group work in seminars will develop interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and provide opportunities to examine and resolve challenging case situations. Students will be formatively assessed weekly via their preparation, contribution and participation in group work, seminar activities and presentations. The seminar work will be problem based and will involve the discussion of case studies, academic literature and web based materials. The involvement of real case studies will provide opportunities for students to integrate theory with practice.

The students will be supported by the module leader, guest lecturers, module tutors and seminar leaders. Academic staff will deliver lecturers in the specialist area. Family business owner-managers will provide materials to supplement their interactive sessions. Seminar groups will be limited to around 25 students to encourage more close, personal and focused learning. Sessions will be devoted to essay surgery and feed-forward sessions and rehearsal of group presentation delivery. The module will be supported via the e-learning portal, Blackboard Ultra, where materials and slides from lectures, seminars, guest lectures and external speakers will be loaded. This will include detailed breakdowns of assessment and submission criteria, instructions and deadlines. Microsoft Teams will provide an outlet for group chat instant feedback and up-to-date module announcements. A detailed reading list will provide weekly reading materials compiled from journal articles, textbooks, web resources and company websites. This will be supplemented by a broader reading list detailing seminal texts in key areas of family business studies.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

• Develop knowledge of processes and understand strategies in family business management. (MLO 1)
• Understand how theoretical foundations of family business studies can be incorporated and integrated into family business management. (MLO 2)
• Understand the longevity of multigenerational family business and how they survive across generations through periods of transition, uncertainty, technological change and increasing global competition. (MLO 3)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

• Develop teamwork, communication, interpersonal, presentation and problem-solving skills by engaging in group work and using illustrative case situations and resolving ‘real-life’ family business issues (MLO 4)

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• Be aware of the role of family businesses across the world are subject to different socioeconomic and cultural factors that result in a variety of creative approaches to strategy and decision-making. (MLO 5)

Summative assessment will take place in the form of a 3000-word assignment in an area of family business management to be decided by the teaching team. There will be choice of questions linked to each of the lectures and main focus areas. The assignment worth 75% will build upon the knowledge acquired from lectures and seminars. This component of the assessment addresses MLO1, MLO2, MLO3 and MLO5. Feedback on your summative performance in this module will be provided as follows: Your assessment will be returned to you with annotated comments directly related to the assessment task. You will also be provided with a written comment on actions to be taken to improve performance in assessment overall.

In addition, a piece of group work will be developed during the second half of the semester and will culminate in a group presentation. This will contribute 25% of the mark. The presentation topics will be student-led and chosen from seminar topics covered in seminars during the first half of the semester. The final presentation will be 20 minutes and groups (where possible) will number 4 students – each student responsible for 5 minutes segments of the presentation. Students will produce a one-page summary fact sheet to accompany their presentations. This component addresses MLO4. Formative assessment will take place through group work, assignment discussion and reflection, discussion board activity on the e-learning platform, case study activity, and theory/practice related discussions.
Criteria will be provided to enable you to understand what is expected of and how you will be assessed on your performance.

Formative feedback will be provided throughout the module, particularly in relating to seminar tasks. You should, however, be aware that formative feedback can, and will, occur in any communication with an academic tutor.

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Family businesses make up over three-quarters of all businesses in most countries worldwide. They make significant contributions to economies, GDP, employment and supply/value chains. Family firms can be small and localised, such as Thomas Swan or Fenwicks – or large multinationals, such as Wal-Mart, Carrefour and Haribo. Others, such as the UK high street food outlet Greggs, have transitioned from
family business to publicly traded company. This module will enable you to understand how family businesses evolve and develop over time.
It analyses and offers insights into their behaviours and dynamics, and examines how they interact with, and contribute to, regional, national and global economies. You’ll explore the dynamic processes which enable family firms to survive in the face of increasing competition. In particular, the course will demonstrate how family business owner-managers develop strategies which enable firms to grow, diversify,
internationalise and innovate.