Title: A family CEO running the family business: which competencies really matter?

Authors: Vincent Molly; Diane Arijs; Johan Lambrecht

Addresses: Research Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Business, KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, 1000 Brussels, Belgium ' Research Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Business, KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, 1000 Brussels, Belgium ' Research Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Business, KU Leuven, Warmoesberg 26, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract: This study aims to increase our understanding of the competencies that are and should be used by family CEOs to achieve success for both the family and business. This quantitative study is based on a survey among family CEOs in Belgian family firms. The results show that the use by the family CEO of family business system competencies significantly increases the financial performance of the company as well as the performance of the family. Notwithstanding this result, it is striking that many family CEOs give little priority to using these family business system competencies compared with other competencies in managing the family business.

Keywords: family CEOs; business system competencies; family businesses; family firms; firm performance; entrepreneurship; Belgium; financial performance; business management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2015.068776

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2015 Vol.25 No.1, pp.55 - 79

Received: 11 Mar 2014
Accepted: 26 Sep 2014
Published online: 12 Apr 2015 *

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