Family Business Stewardship - a model for business success

http://www.ifb.org.uk/ The debate on the principles of good ownership very much came to life at the height of the recent financial crisis. Corporate failures, such as Lehman Brothers, raised questions about the health of capitalism and whether it was always working for the benefit of society as a whole. Politicians and the media called on owners to be more accountable and to ensure that their companies treated stakeholders fairly and acted as responsible corporate citizens.

Tomorrow’s Company, a think-tank that aims to reduce the gap between business and society, stepped in to the debate with the publication of a report “Tomorrow’s Owners - Defining, Differentiating and Rewarding Stewardship”. The report, to which the IFB contributed, defined stewardship as the active and responsible management of entrusted resources now and in the longer term, so as to hand them on in better condition. The report set out four principles for corporate stewardship, and related behaviours:

• Principle 1. Setting the course: attention to clarity of purpose

• Principle 2. Driving performance: attention to performance and improvement

• Principle 3. Part of the landscape: attention to the wider world

• Principle 4. Planting for the future: coherence over time

Throughout this recession the family business sector has been held up by observers, such as the CBI, as a source of stability. Although the trading environment has been very difficult family firms have generally held a steady course. Arguably one of the reasons for the success of family firms during tough times is their adherence to the four stewardship principles.

A leading example of family business stewardship in action is Wates Group who place respect for communities and people at the heart of their business. This approach has earned them the prize of Major Contractor of the Year for a second consecutive year at Building Magazine’s awards.

The IFB Research Foundation has partnered with Tomorrow’s Company to examine empirically how family businesses function in terms of the stewardship and to find out if this is a model for business success. If you would like to participate in the debate about family business stewardship please leave a comment here or email your views to info@ifb.org.uk .You can also request a copy of the IFB Family Business Stewardship Report that will be published in June 2011.

Strengthening the family business corporate brand

http://www.ifb.org.uk/ Sir Michael Bibby, chief executive of Bibby Line Group was the final breakfast speaker at the Next Generation Forum in 2010. His comments underlined the importance of the family business corporate brand as a magnet to help recruit and retain employees motivated to perform at their best. Sound values at Bibby including a focus on the long-term, quality operations, trust in people and support for communities, is part of what makes people “feel like they work for their own business” as Sir Michael puts it. By promoting a strong sense of goal alignment employees are selected both for their skills and whether they share the values of the business.

These insightful comments echo throughout the family business sector. Each family business works to reinforce the foundations of its corporate brand; underpinned by the origins of the family business, the reputation of the firm is carefully developed and shaped over time. Good stewardship leads to employees being more motivated, with retention increasing as they align withthe underlying sense of mission and values of their organisation.

Developing trust with consumers
Consumers are also savvy and want to know about the organisations behind the products and services they buy; convincing them for example that the business has sustainable and responsible sourcing policies can be a powerful differentiator in favour of the family business corporate brand. UK family business company brands such as C&J Clark, Wates and Bibby Line Group are examples of organisations where a strong corporate culture underpins successful business practices developing trust with their customer base.

In 2011 part of the IFB’s work will be to find out more about how these and other family firms have found a winning formula.