Over the last two years, around 750 family-run businesses have benefited from the family business education pathway informed by research at Queen Margaret University. The pathway builds on early research at QMU, which indicated that classroom-based learning via an MBA (or similar) did not meed the needs of many small businesses. Later research indicated that businesses valued the learning and knowledge from their diverse and intersecting networks.
Working with Family Business United Scotland, researchers at QMU developed an education pathway that developed opportunities for learning that includes an annual conference, seminars, business visits that facilitate peer-to-peer learning, formally accredited modules suitable for short course provision, masters level qualifications and professionally focused doctoral level degrees.
"I think the resources available have made quite a big difference. My father had the business and I took over from him. He saw a tax specialist but the advice didn't really seem to fit with our programmes. We went to a couple of events and realised that there was some theory and academic research in the area - I did business management as a degree, but family business wasn't really mentioned - but learning there was a network and we could tap into the knowledge helped to move the business and family dynamic along. For my father, this was a real lightbulb moment and it helped us to avoid, for example, selling the business."
Meet the Researcher
Professor Claire Seaman
Professional Advice and Services
More information on the Consultancy Services of the Queen Margaret Business School can be obtained from Craig Cathcart.
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