Family Business: Building a sustainable future

Book excerpt: This work commemorates the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Italian Association of Family Enterprises (AIDAF). It does not adopt a retrospective perspective, nor is it a historical account. It is an essay about the future, taking the form of a dialogue between family businesses and the Italian academic community, combining scholarly rigor with pragmatism. It provides tangible points of reflection aimed at constructing and subsequently preserving the continuity and sustainability of the family-enterprise system. The dialogue is composed of twenty-five letters and their corresponding responses, organized into five sections: family, ownership, youth, business, and sustainability. The AIDAF-affiliated entrepreneurs pose inquiries on family business matters in the form of letters addressed to academics, who, in turn, provide concise essays in response. These exchanges encompass recurring issues such as generational succession, as well as more contemporary themes, such as sustainability and the management of large entrepreneurial families. The essay is not solely intended for AIDAF members; rather, it has been assembled to initiate a conversation with those who are involved with family businesses, including the new generations, entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals who collaborate with family enterprises, as well as students and enthusiasts of the subject. It is an invitation to those who harbor a curiosity about the world of family business. As in any dialogue, the hope here is to stimulate interest in continuing the exchange of perspectives, experiences, and knowledge, going beyond the pages of this book, and recognizing that the vitality and excellence of the fabric of family enterprises are fundamental for the development of a national system.