COURSE SYLLABUS
Family Entrepreneurship, 5 credits
Family Entrepreneurship, 5 högskolepoäng
Course Syllabus for students Spring 2025
| Course Code: | JFER24 |
| Confirmed by: | Council for Undergraduate and Masters Education Apr 25, 2022 |
| Valid From: | Jan 15, 2024 |
| Version: | 1 |
| Education Cycle: | Second-cycle level |
| Disciplinary domain: | Social sciences |
| Subject group: | FE1 |
| Specialised in: | A1N |
| Main field of study: | Business Administration |
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
On completion of the course the student will be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
1. Explain the characteristics and challenges of family entrepreneurs.
2. Describe the main theories and concepts within the field of family entrepreneurship research
2. Describe the main theories and concepts within the field of family entrepreneurship research
Skills and abilities
3. Analyse practical problems in family entrepreneurship contexts by applying appropriate knowledge resources.
4. Analyse and apply family entrepreneurship theories and concepts to different critical situations in entrepreneurial families.
4. Analyse and apply family entrepreneurship theories and concepts to different critical situations in entrepreneurial families.
Judgement and approach
5. Critically evaluate the use of concepts and models used to understand family entrepreneurship.
6. Reflect upon common challenges facing family entrepreneurs in practice and develop a way to address these challenges.
6. Reflect upon common challenges facing family entrepreneurs in practice and develop a way to address these challenges.
Contents
This course deals with family entrepreneurship. The course focuses on the role of family owners in developing and renewing family businesses by focusing on the interpersonal dynamics in entrepreneurship. We explore a family embeddedness perspective for entrepreneurship and key issues related to the entrepreneurial process of family owners as well as the choices of entrepreneurial families and their members. By discussing entrepreneurial entry and exit decisions we will explore the factors influencing the decision of initiating a family business, succession issues and portfolio decisions of family entrepreneurs. The course takes an international perspective on these issues.
The course is specially designed for those who are interested in starting a family business, entering, acquiring, or succeeding in it, with a particular attention to interpersonal dynamics in entrepreneurship. More in general the course will provide solid competences on how to establish business relations with family businesses, that are the most common type of organization in the world.
Connection to research and practice
This course builds on the research excellence and practical relevance of the Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership, bridging the core competences of JIBS faculty on family entrepreneurship. The students will have a unique opportunity for applying the most relevant theoretical concepts to examples, cases and experiences from entrepreneurial families around the world. The course is specially designed for those who are interested in starting a family business, entering, acquiring, or succeeding in it, more in general the course will provide solid competences on how to establish business relations with family businesses, that are the most common type of organization in the world.
The course is specially designed for those who are interested in starting a family business, entering, acquiring, or succeeding in it, with a particular attention to interpersonal dynamics in entrepreneurship. More in general the course will provide solid competences on how to establish business relations with family businesses, that are the most common type of organization in the world.
Connection to research and practice
This course builds on the research excellence and practical relevance of the Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership, bridging the core competences of JIBS faculty on family entrepreneurship. The students will have a unique opportunity for applying the most relevant theoretical concepts to examples, cases and experiences from entrepreneurial families around the world. The course is specially designed for those who are interested in starting a family business, entering, acquiring, or succeeding in it, more in general the course will provide solid competences on how to establish business relations with family businesses, that are the most common type of organization in the world.
Type of instruction
The course combines lectures and seminars led by professors and researchers with guest lectures by entrepreneurs and/or consultants with long experience. Lectures and seminars require students' active participation. The course may also draw upon experiential learning practices.
The teaching is conducted in English.
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (or the equivalent), (i.e. the equivalent of 180 ECTS credits at an accredited university) and a minimum of 7.5 credits in entrepreneurship.
Examination and grades
The course is graded A, B, C, D, E, FX or F.
ILOs are assessed via the following examinations:
ILOs are assessed via the following examinations:
- Group case study works and presentations (ILOs: 2, 3, 5, 6), representing 2 credits
- Individual written examination (ILOs: 1, 3, 4, 5), representing 3 credits.
Registration of examination:
| Name of the Test | Value | Grading |
|---|---|---|
| Group case study work and presentations1 | 2 credits | A/B/C/D/E/FX/F |
| Individual written examination1 | 3 credits | A/B/C/D/E/FX/F |
Course evaluation
It is the responsibility of the examiner to ensure that each course is evaluated. At the outset of the course, the programme evaluators in the course must be contacted. In the middle of the course, the examiner should meet the programme evaluators to identify strengths/weaknesses in the first half of the course.
At the end of the course, the examiner should remind students to fill in the survey. The examiner should also call a meeting with the programme evaluators to debrief the course, based on course evaluation data and comments. The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluations.
At the end of each study period, JIBS’ Director of Quality and Accreditation crafts a “Course Evaluation Quarter Report”, presenting the quantitative results from course evaluation surveys. The Associate Dean of Education, The Associate Deans of Faculty, Programme Directors, and JSA President and Quality receive the report.
At the end of the course, the examiner should remind students to fill in the survey. The examiner should also call a meeting with the programme evaluators to debrief the course, based on course evaluation data and comments. The next time the course runs, students should be informed of any measures taken to improve the course based on the previous course evaluations.
At the end of each study period, JIBS’ Director of Quality and Accreditation crafts a “Course Evaluation Quarter Report”, presenting the quantitative results from course evaluation surveys. The Associate Dean of Education, The Associate Deans of Faculty, Programme Directors, and JSA President and Quality receive the report.
Other information
Academic integrity
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination.
Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarising. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables, and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarising called the Interactive Anti- Plagiarism Guide.
Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat, and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.
JIBS students are expected to maintain a strong academic integrity. This implies to behave within the boundaries of academic rules and expectations relating to all types of teaching and examination.
Copying someone else’s work is a particularly serious offence and can lead to disciplinary action. When you copy someone else’s work, you are plagiarising. You must not copy sections of work (such as paragraphs, diagrams, tables, and words) from any other person, including another student or any other author. Cutting and pasting is a clear example of plagiarism. There is a workshop and online resources to assist you in not plagiarising called the Interactive Anti- Plagiarism Guide.
Other forms of breaking academic integrity include (but are not limited to) adding your name to a project you did not work on (or allowing someone to add their name), cheating on an examination, helping other students to cheat, and submitting other students work as your own, and using non-allowed electronic equipment during an examination. All of these make you liable to disciplinary action.
Course literature
Readings will include a course compendium or selected readings of relevant articles for each aspect covered in the course. Students will be informed of the readings at the introduction of the course.