It is estimated that family businesses comprise between 60-90 per cent of all firms in Europe and the United States. This book makes a contribution to the understanding of small family firms by bringing together a number of key themes in management/organization studies.

From the local dry cleaner to the nation's largest to breweries, family businesses make up 90 percent of the fifteen million businesses in the United States. Yet only one-third make it to the second generation, and 10 percent to the third, because owners -- tempted by lucrative offers -- cash in to ensure the financial security of their children. In Sustaining the Family Business, Marshall Paisner celebrates the unique qualities of the family business, and offers a comprehensive resource for successfully managing the enterprise across generations. Drawing from his own extensive experience, new primary research, and examples of family businesses in a wide range of industries, Paisner offers practical recommendations for handling conflict, establishing professional management structures, setting long-term goals, developing tax and estate strategies, and preparing heirs to take the reins.