FFI Global Conference
Family Enterprise: Myths & Realities
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London, England
October 21–24, 2015
Early registration discount expires February 28, 2015.
The 2015 conference program committee invites submissions for educational sessions to create a yearlong debate on Myths & Realities in the family enterprise field. Nearly 30 years into the founding of the field, there is still a great deal of “conventional wisdom” — myth, if you will — that drives decision making and professional advice with regard to family enterprise. For instance:
- Family enterprises are in it for the “long haul.”
- Family enterprises are more socially responsible and philanthropic than their non-family cousins.
- Family enterprises are good places for women to advance into leadership roles.
- Family enterprise advisors should do everything they can to ensure the continuity of the family in business if not the family business.
- Family enterprises thrive directly in relationship to the outside “objective” advice that they receive.
- Family governance structures are essential to achieve longevity.
- Protocols for family governance are key to family harmony in the family enterprise system.
We’re sure you can name your own claims that may or may not be a myth — or a reality. It is our goal to open a frank conversation and debate, based on qualitative and quantitative research, expert opinion, live cases, and concepts from art and literature on Myths & Realities in Family Enterprise to point the way to the future in this segment.
Proposals that incorporate research and expert opinion, models from literature, sociology, history and psychology are encouraged. Cross-cultural proposals, proposals that combine research and practice and live cases are especially welcome. Proposals that make innovative use of technology are also encouraged.
The Research & Education Symposium will have a specific focus on the interaction between research and practice to achieve both rigor and relevance in our search for better knowledge about family firms. Proposals addressing this topic from various perspectives are particularly encouraged.
Conference Sessions:
Master Classes: These sessions will be 2.5 hours and focus on an in-depth, highly focused learning experience, typically with only one or two session leaders
Idea Labs: These sessions will be 90 minutes in length and focus on classic and new ideas on the field. Multiple presenters are encouraged with a cross-cultural multidisciplinary approach.
Snap Learning: These session will be 60 minutes in length with topics that may or may not be related. Presenters do not have to coordinate. For example, a Snap Learning session could feature two or three authors of new books, each discussing the book and its central ideas.
The committee intent is to allow for more presentations and more topics with a more flexible approach to the session length.
How to Submit
Proposals may be submitted for presentation at the Main Conference and/or the Research & Education Symposium that immediately follows the Main Conference.
Main Conference presentations are allotted up to 90 minutes.
Research & Education Symposium presentations are allotted 30 minutes.
Proposals must include the following:
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Title
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Presenter(s)
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Abstract (300 words maximum)
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Summary description of presentation suitable
for publication in the conference program (50 words maximum)
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Type of presentation (Main Conference or Research & Education Symposium)
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Presentation learning outcomes
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Presenter(s) bio suitable for publication in
the conference program (50 words maximum)
- Videos showing presenters’ presentation skills are encouraged
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All conference presenters must be paid
registrants at the conference and are expected to participate broadly, as the
overarching goal of FFI conferences is to foster a community committed to the
exchange of ideas in the field of family enterprise.
Deadline for submissions is midnight (Eastern) on January 19, 2015.
Program Committee
Peter Leach, chair
Deloitte LLP
Randel Carlock
INSEAD
David Harvey
STEP
Juliette Johnson
Juliette Johnson Consultancy
Mattias Nordqvist
Jönköping International Business School
Alexandra Sharpe
Deloitte LLP
Ruth E. Steverlynck
Your Family Enterprise Advisors