Academic Program Co-Chairs

• Eric Clinton, Dublin City University, IRELAND
• Josh Daspit, Texas State University, USA
• Luis Díaz Matajira, Universidad de los Andes, COLOMBIA
• Danny Holt, Louisiana State University, USA
• Don Neubaum, Florida Atlantic University, USA
• Pramodita Sharma, Grossman School of Business, University of Vermont, USA

Highlights

• 112 attendees from 24 countries (4 continents)
• 51 research video presentations made. Called 5&5 presentations, these were five minute video presentations with a maximum of five slides. Coordinated by Josh Daspit, Luis Matajira, Eric Clinton, and Clay Dibrell.

• 11 scholars from eight countries attended the Research Seminar. Chaired by Danny Holt, participants learned from the following thought-leaders:
     • Cristina Cruz, IE Business School, SPAIN
     • Nadine Kammerlander, WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, GERMANY
     • David Reeb, National University of Singapore, SINGAPORE

• Virtual Professional Development Workshops (vPDWs) were chaired by Don Neubaum and focused on the following topics:
     • Making a Theoretical Contribution
     • Exploring the “Fertile Territory” at the Intersection of Positive Organizational Scholarship and Family Business Research
     • SAGE Publishing´s Family Business Cases Series
     • Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices: Involving Students in Family Business Research
     • Spanish FERC Discussion Group
     • Family Business Network (FBN) and Sustainability
     • Surviving Service: How to Build a Career while Contributing to the Community

• Three Practical Insights Videos were premiered. Organized by Pramodita Sharma and conducted by Thomas Clark of the Family Enterprise Foundation, these short videos called 3n3 featured practical insights from authors of peer reviewed publications since 2015 in three minutes using three slides. Top three videos:
     • “Diagnosing Innovation Readiness in Family Firms” by Danny Holt (Louisiana State University, USA) and Josh Daspit (Texas State University, USA)
     • “Digital Transformation in Family-Owned Mittelstand Firms” by Jonas Soluk (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, GERMANY) and Nadine Kammerlander (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, GERMANY)
     • “Sex and Gender in Family Business Succession Research” by Teresa Nelson (Simmons University, USA) and Christina Constantinidis (University of Quebec in Montreal, CANADA)

• Three small group virtual networking sessions were held. These were organized by Pramodita Sharma (University of Vermont) and Luis Diaz-Matajira (Universidad de los Andes)

Awards Presented

Seven categories of awards worth $13,900 were presented:

• FERC Lifetime Influence and Impact Award for providing sustained and distinguished leadership toward the growth and development of family businesses and/or family business research and scholars
     • Danny Miller (HEC Montreal, CANADA)
     • Isabelle Le Breton-Miller (HEC Montreal, CANADA)
     • Lloyd Steier (Alberta School of Business, CANADA)

• Family-Owned Business Institute (FOBI) Scholar in Residence ($12,500, sponsored by FOBI at Grand Valley State University). One individual selected each year to travel to Grand Valley State University and work with faculty, students, and community members on researching and teaching family business.
     • Eric Clinton (Dublin City University, IRELAND)

• Best Research Video ($500, sponsored by FOBI at Grand Valley State University)
     • “Business Incubator Cooperations: Family Firms' Access to Knowledge and Trust within Entrepreneurial Ecosystems”
          • David Sauer (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, GERMANY)
          • Nadine Kammerlander (WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, GERMANY)

• Best Paper on Family Firm Entrepreneurship & Innovation ($250, sponsored by McCoy College of Business at Texas State University)
     • “Next-Gen as a Lever for Innovation: An Exploration of Gender and Succession Dynamics”
          • Christina Constantinidis (University of Quebec in Montreal, CANADA)
          • Issaka Oumarou Harou (University of Quebec in Montreal, CANADA)

• Best Paper on Diversity in the Family Firm ($250, sponsored by McCoy College of Business at Texas State University)
     • “Women's Leadership and Leverage Decisions. Exploring the Nature of Family Firms and their Governance”
          • Alfredo De Massis (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, ITALY, and Lancaster University, UK, and Zhejiang University, CHINA) 
          • Fernando Muñoz-Bullon (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, SPAIN)
          • Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, SPAIN)
          • Pilar Velasco (Universidad de Valladolid, SPAIN) 
          • Silvio Vismara (University of Bergamo, ITALY)

• Best Feedback Awards ($100, sponsored by University of Vermont)
     • Myriam Cano-Rubio (Universidad de Jaen, SPAIN)
     • Rocky-Lee DeWitt (University of Vermont, USA)
     • Catherine Faherty (Dublin City University, IRELAND)
     • Alexander Bergfeld (University of Antwerp, BELGIUM)