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Case Study

Four generations of the Owens family (C)

By John L. Ward, Joachim Schwass and Colleen Lief

20 pages

June 2005

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Reference: IMD-3-1494

This three part case series follows the Richard Owens family through nearly one hundred years of evolution and change. 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. How the businesses fared and how each brother managed his company for the future are the subjects of the B case. Efforts by one branch of the family to avoid the kinds of problems that brought about the division of the original family business are outlined. Governance and ownership issues now faced by the next generation are highlighted. The C case brings participants up-to-date with the evolution of the Richard Owens family constitution and governance policies implemented to help protect the family firm for the future.

Keywords

Succession, Change, Retail, Real Estate Development, Investment Management

Settings

Australia
1906-1998

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

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Video

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