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Case Study

Four generations of the Owens family (A)

By John L. Ward, Joachim Schwass and Colleen Lief

10 pages

March 2005

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Reference: IMD-3-1492

This case series follows the Richard Owens family through nearly one hundred years of evolution and change. The A-case describes how the family business started with one grocery store in 1906 and, by 1974, had grown into a large private enterprise that included supermarkets, liquor stores and real estate. While competitors could not seem to stop the Owens family business, fractured family relationships and rivalries caused significant problems. In 1974, the conflict came to a head and the firm was split into three, one business line for each sibling.

Keywords

Succession, Change, Retail

Settings

Australia
Consumer Services, Retail
1906-1974

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

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This case study is part of a series

Four generations of the Owens family (A)
Four generations of the Owens family (B)
Four generations of the Owens family (C)
Four generations of the Owens family (D)

This case study is part of a series

Four generations of the Owens family (A)
Four generations of the Owens family (B)
Four generations of the Owens family (C)
Four generations of the Owens family (D)

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