50 Common Causes of Family Business Conflict ... and how to deal with them

Relationship Interplay's.  

• Family Business continues relationship pressures present in the family into the business - very different contexts with antagonistic drivers.  

• Family hierarchy:  starts age-based, increasingly personality-based.  

• Family Business hierarchy:  starts age-based, personality-based, power-based (rather than merit-based) (family/business lifecycle).  

• Solution:   Mediation if there’s serious conflict - family history & personalities considered carefully.  HR best practice: commercial / merit-based roles, responsibilities, authorities and accountabilities.  Reporting lines. Detailed Job Descriptions for everyone.