Grant for project-Morten Bennedsen.

Project-description: The overall idea is to evaluate the economic implications of the organization of families in general and not least the realization of uncertain events inside the families for the leadership and performance of closely held corporations. We use realization of risky events inside families to gain new insight into the economic value of four important governance institutions: the value of leaders (i.e. CEOs, board chairmen, directors and managers); the value of family finance; the value of political networks; and, the value of professional boards.

All owners, managers and workers have families. Family structure, organization and dynamic development are to a large extent affected by both random shocks and planned for events, which includes number and gender composition of children; shocks to family income and family consumption; shocks to family members’ ability to earn income, sudden death and diseases, etc., etc. Such risky events have strong implications on owners’ and managers’ leadership of firms and workers’ incentives and abilities. In this research project we investigate to what extent these family driven effects on individuals have economic implications for governance and performance of the corporations these individuals are associated with.

Projectperiod 2007-2009: Bevilling: 4 mio