Commentary
A Commentary provides thoughtful and insightful opinions or perspectives on events, policies or situations of interest to business owners, startups, educators, investors and policymakers. These should be short, readable, timely, interesting pieces that address current topics of interest, discussion or dispute.
Length: <1,000 words
Reviewed by Senior Editors
Like so much else today, the hiring process has radically changed. While it remains important for prospective hires, especially those fresh out of school, to demonstrate concrete evidence of job Read More...
Category: Commentary
Authors: Steve Blank and Nancy Forster-Holt
Most people would never think of putting classical music and blockchain in the same sentence. With my training in engineering and economics, I wouldn’t have either -- if it were not for my getting Read More...
Category: Commentary
Author: Christos A. Makridis
Should family members work outside the family business before joining? Experts have long recommended that this is the best (and only!) way for the next generation to learn the skills and knowledge Read More...
Category: Commentary
Authors: Joseph Astrachan , Isabel C Botero , Carol Wittmeyer and Claudia Binz Astrachan
Between COVID, supply chain issues, armed invasions, unstable markets, and the great resignation with millions of workers leaving the workforce (Parker & Menasce Horowitz, 2022) – or, more Read More...
Category: Commentary
Authors: Lars B. Sonderegger , Claudia Binz Astrachan and Joseph Astrachan
The Merck family business dates back to this apothecary, founded in 1668. The German Merck family has succeeded where many business families have failed: Keeping a group of 319 family members, Read More...
Category: Commentary
Authors: Tom Rüsen , Claudia Binz Astrachan and Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp
A few years ago, at a major conference for financial planners, “Grace” and her husband were talking with some new acquaintances at dinner. One of them mentioned how admirable it was that Grace Read More...
Category: Commentary
Author: Maria Considine King
In January 2021 I joined the Great Resignation and took an early retirement from the University of Minnesota (UMN). I had spent 12 years there teaching social entrepreneurship and managing Read More...
Category: Commentary
Author: Fred Rose
Like all kinds of firms, family businesses have undergone a culture shock because of the pandemic. After starting out in the pandemic’s early days as a survival mechanism, remote work is now Read More...
Category: Commentary
Author: Jay Mulki
Editor's Note: This article, originally published in July of 2022, has been updated periodically to reflect other milestones in readership. The most recent update was made May 28, 2025. In late May Read More...
Category: Commentary
Author: Catherine Buday
While start-ups are typically known for their innovation, family businesses are seen as mired in traditions and stuck in the past. But recent research shows that the next generation of leadership can Read More...
Category: Commentary
Authors: Klaus Lüber and Nadine Kammerlander