Dates: June 8-10, 2017
Host University: UNC Asheville Family Business Forum, Asheville, NC, USA

Co-hosts:

• Cindy Clarke, UNC Asheville Family Business Forum, Asheville, NC, USA; Logistics Chair
• Kayla Dunn, UNC Asheville Family Business Forum, Asheville, NC, USA; Logistics Chair
• Dianne H. B. Welsh, UNC Greensboro, NC, USA; Academic Program Chair;
• Franz W. Kellermanns, UNC Charlotte, NC, USA; Career Academy Chair;
• Donna Boone Parsons, Mars Hill University, NC, USA; Coordinating Chair;

Highlights:

• 84 Scholar Attendees; With guests 112
• 63 Institutions from 27 countries represented
• 69 Papers Accepted; 53 Papers Presented
• 80 Reviewers
• Career Academy had the largest attendance ever at FERC with over 50 scholars. It was held at the campus of UNC Asheville. Presenters included Professors Frank Hoy, Franz Kellermanns, Leif Melin, Donna Parsons, Allison Pearson, Torsten Pieper, Justin Webb, and Dave Woehr.
• Speakers on FERC opening night were Asheville City Mayor Esther Manheimer, UNC Asheville Chancellor Mary Grant, and the keynote was Dini Pickering, fourth generation family member of the Biltmore Estate shared her perspective on building bridges across generations while growing a legacy firm.
• Dr. Frank Hoy, Paul R. Beswick Professor @ the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute was the Keynote speaker of the conference.
• Panel discussion about leadership preparation for the next generation was moderated by Dr. Steve Miller, Gen-Span and UNC Chapel Hill. Panelists were:
  • Trevor Astey, Togar Rugs
  • Karl Koon, Asheville Oil
  • Don Parker, SAS Institute
  • Dini Pickering, The Biltmore Company
• Round table discussion with editors included:
  • Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice w. Franz Kellermanns
  • Family Business Review w. Pramodita Sharma
  • International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business; And, Journal of Small Business Strategy w. Frank Hoy and Dianne Welsh
  • Journal of Ethics and Entrepreneurship w. Christine Sutton
  • Journal of Family Business Strategy w. Torsten Pieper
  • Journal of Management Studies w. Frank Hoy
• The award ceremony on Friday night was a grand success.  It was off site at a family owned 200-year-old stage coach inn, known as Sherrill’s Inn.  The night consisted of a tour of the Inn and grounds, followed by buffet dinner, a professional storyteller, photographs, awards, and square dancing.

Awards Presented:

Five categories of awards with prize money of $ 19,500 were presented:

1. Best English Poster - $ 1500 each (Sponsored by MCS Family Wealth Advisors these were presented by FERC Co-President Michael Stalker)
   • An Empirical Assessment of the Validity and Reliability of the Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) Concept
     • Daniel T. Holt, Mississippi State University, USA
     • Emma Su, Mississippi State University, USA
     • Allison Pearson, Mississippi State University, USA
     • Lorenzo Lucianetti, University of Chieti and Pescara, Italy
     • Jay Orr, Mississippi State University, USA
   • Mapping Cognitive Dimensions and Processes of Value Creation in Family Firms
     • Shiva Nadavulakere, Saginaw Valley State University, USA
     • Anushri Rawat, East Michigan University, USA
   • Does Non-Family CEO Advantage Depend on Firm Growth and Area of Management Practice? A Contingency Perspective
     • Atanu Rakshit, Nazarbayev University, Khazakstan
     • Dmitry Khanin, Nazarbayev University, Khazakstan
2. Best poster aligned with the conference theme: Bridging the Gap - $1500 (Sponsored by Family Business Center, Opus College of Business, University of St. Thomas; Presented by Center Director Prof. Ritch Sorenson)
   • Seeing Forests for the Trees: Knowledge Diversity and Causation Logics in Family Firms
     • Robert Randolph, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
     • Esra Memili, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, USA
     • Dilek Nayir, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
     • Hanqing "Chevy" Fang, Missouri University of Science & Technology, USA
3. Best Spanish Poster - $1000 (Sponsored by Familias Empresarias Management Consulting; Presented by Claudio Müller, School of Economics and Business, University of Chile)
   • Ambidextria Organizativa y Emprendimiento Corporativo en la Empresa Familiar
     • Tomas Bañegil, Universidad de Extremadura, Spain
     • Ascensión Barroso, Universidad de Extremadura, Spain
     • Cristina Barriuso, Universidad de Extremadura, Spain
     • Ramón Sanguino, Universidad de Extremadura, Spain
4. Family Owned Business Institute (FOBI), Scholar in Resident Award - $ 12,500 (Sponsored by the Seidman College of Business; Presented by FOBI Director Ana Cristina)
   • Isabel Botero, Stetson University, USA
5. FERC Lifetime Influence and Impact Awards (Presented by FERC Co-Presidents Allison Pearson and Michael Stalker)
   • Frank Hoy, Foisie Business School, Beswick Professor & Director, Collaborative for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA
   • Leif Melin, Professor Emeritus, Centre for Family Enterprise and Ownership, Jönköping International Business School, Sweden
   • Ritch Sorenson, Professor of Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurship Department College of Arts and Sciences Family Studies, St. Thomas University, USA
6. Special Awards for appreciation of dedicated service to outgoing Co-Presidents Allison Pearson and Michael Stalker were presented by their successors Don Neubaum and Pramodita Sharma

Journal Special Issues Associated with FERC 2017:

• Journal of Family Business Strategy represented by Torsten M. Pieper
  Fast track review for FERC 2017 authors that submit their papers for consideration for publication in a regular issue.
• Journal of Small Business Strategy represented by Dianne Welsh
  Special issue for FERC 2017 - Internationalization Strategies of Family Firms: Challenges and Perspectives.
• International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business represented by Dianne Welsh
  Special issue for FERC 2017: Immigrant, Gender, and Succession Issues in Family Firms.