Research Environment

CeFEO counts more than 50 scholars and 25 affiliated researchers, plus a large turnover of visiting scholars (a full list of CeFEO Members can be found here). Several studies and reports have consistently identified CeFEO as the leading research environment in Europe and among the top three environments globally in the area of ownership and family business studies (read more here).

While having a specific focus on ownership and family business issues, researchers associated with CeFEO also conduct extensive and impactful research on topics like strategy, organization, accounting, entrepreneurship, innovation, and internationalization, which contribute to the focus of JU and JIBS (read more about our research topics here).

CeFEO was founded in 2005, based on a research program initiated in 1995 by Professor Leif Melin. Between 2012 and 2020, the center was directed by Professor Mattias Nordqvist. Since 2020, the center has been directed by Biträdande Professor Massimo Baù (read more about our history here).

Since its foundation, CeFEO has followed the idea of combining “Academic Excellence and Practical Relevance.” This mission means combining rigorous academic research at the international frontier, which is the creation and diffusion of knowledge practically relevant for companies, organizations, and individual stakeholders with an interest in ownership and family business issues. We seek to have a double impact with ourtion, outreach, research, educa both in the academic community and the broader society and industry. CeFEO is firmly rooted in JIBS's overall strategy and guiding principles (read more about our vision and mission here).

Despite its relatively small size and specialized focus, Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) is among Sweden's leading business schools and arguably the most international while maintaining strong connections with Swedish society and economy.

The Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership (CeFEO) at JIBS actively participates in several prestigious international networks, including EuFBC, EIASM, IFERA, GUESSS, FFI, and AOM. First, CeFEO is a founding member of the European Family Business Centers Network (EuFBC), comprising Europe's 21 leading research centers dedicated to family business research. Second, CeFEO is the academic home of the EIASM Workshop on Family Firm Management Research. Initiated by CeFEO in 2005, this annual event attracts over 100 scholars from Europe and beyond to discuss emerging research in family business. Third, CeFEO is a scientific partner of the International Family Enterprise Research Academy (IFERA), the world's largest association for family business scholars, boasting more than 300 members globally. Fourth, since 2021, CeFEO has been Sweden's Country Delegate for the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS), one of the largest international entrepreneurship research initiatives, involving more than 3,000 universities across 60 countries. Fifth, CeFEO is among the select group of 12 Educational Members of the Family Firm Institute (FFI), a leading global association for professionals, advisors, and consultants in family enterprise. Sixth, CeFEO sponsors the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management (AOM), which includes over 1,200 researchers specialized in entrepreneurship and family business.

These international collaborations span CeFEO’s core areas of research, education, and outreach, creating an ideal environment for conducting impactful research projects, disseminating findings to a global audience, and delivering rigorous and relevant educational programs.