Living with my partner E-Book

Antonio Romano

• Herausgeber: Bookness
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Family businesses need a "solid construction" to withstand the storms, bad weather and shocks of life in order to grow in a healthy and lasting way. In short, it's like constructing a building to be left to future generations.

The authors propose some constructive principles:

• Platforms and foundations: the real essence of this construction are the company and brand values, with which customers and employees can identify with. Companies without strong values are built on quicksand.
• The beams and the roof: the mission and the vision. Asking whether the company is still useful is the prerequisite for offering benefits to customers, employees and suppliers. The limits of our creativity and imagination are the limits of our business!
• The walls and supporting pillars: strategy, organization, leadership, solidarity, relationships and family. The strategy must follow the mission, vision and corporate culture. With the right people at the top, the company will succeed even in difficult situations.
• Family must be in harmony and in tune with the family pact, the company's values, mission and corporate vision, in order to be unbeatable in the marketplace: in business, a conflicting family is worse than the fiercest competitor.

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER is a simple, straightforward book that gets to the heart of fundamental questions for family entrepreneurs, successors and as well also for those who contribute to the professional management of family businesses.

Antonio Romano is a sociologist, socioeconomist, researcher, entrepreneur and writer.
He wrote articles and in-depth studies on Time Economy, Mix Marketing 9'P - 22’P three levels and Positive Social Education (ESP). He is the creator of the high-performance method, also known as the ROMANO Method.
In his long career as an entrepreneur and family businessman, he has researched and experienced problems and solutions in the business world and, particularly, the world of family business. As professor and businessman, he noticed and studied the structural deficiencies of family businesses in the teaching economics in schools and cultural events about family businesses.
Hence the need to contribute to the research and development of culture and professional relationships within family companies.

Contact the author:
[email protected]
www.antonioromano.org

Leseprobe

Living with my partner

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Antonio Romano - Jacqueline Schreiber

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER

The art of working as a family

Living with my partner

The art of working as a family

Copyright © 2025 Antonio Romano - Jacqueline Schreiber

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced

without the prior consent of the Author.

First edition January 2025

Preface | Dr. Ing. Alessandro Antezza

Editions Socioeconomiche A.R.

ISBN 9791254897348

Published with

www.bookness.it

Sommario

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

PREFACE

NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS - THE DREAM, THE BUSINESS AND THE FAMILY

INTRODUCTION

THE COMPANY AS A SOCIAL GROUP, AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, AS A FAMILY INSTITUTION

PART I

SOCIOLOGY OF ORGANIZATIONS AND FAMILY

Chapter 1

DEFINITION OF FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 2

TYPES OF FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 3

THE INFLUENCE OF PARTNERS ON FAMILY BUSINESS STRATEGY

Chapter 4

SOCIOLOGY OF THE ORGANIZATION AND MUTUAL GOALS OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 5

THE ONLY RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY

Chapter 6

DEFINITION OF COMMON GOALS AND PYRAMIDAL CONTROL

Chapter 7

RESULT-ORIENTED PLANNING AND CONTROL

Chapter 8

BALANCE AND INTEGRATION IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 9

AREA OF POWER AND DECISION-MAKING SYSTEM

CHAPTER 10

ANALYSIS OF POWERS IN THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 11

THE THREE CONTENTS OF THE FAMILY BUSINESS AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF SUCCESS

PART II

STUDY OF ILLUSTRATIVE CASES OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFILE

Chapter 12

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFILE

Chapter 13

“MY COMPANY, MY LIFE" PROFILE

Chapter 14

EXECUTIVE PROFILE: I AM A BUSINESS EXECUTIVE

Chapter 15

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER, THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Chapter 16

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 1”

Chapter 17

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 2”

CHAPTER 18

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 3”

CHAPTER 19

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 4”

CHAPTER 20

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 5”

CHAPTER 21

LIVING WITH MY PARTNER: “CASE 6”

PART III

STRATEGIC PROCESSES (FROM CUSTOM TO GENERATIONAL REPLACEMENT.

CHAPTER 22

COMMON MISTAKES AND WHAT MOST THINK ABOUT THE FAMILY BUSINESS

CHAPTER 23

FAMILY BUSINESS: FROM SIMPLE BUSINESS TO STRATEGIC COMPANY

CHAPTER 24

GENERATIONAL CHANGES IN FAMILY BUSINESSES

CHAPTER 25

AGING AND ABANDONMENT OF THE ENTREPRENEUR.

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To our thirty years of study and professional work meeting wonderful people and professionals. Thank you to everyone who has been and is part of our path.

To the people we love, especially our parents, Elio and Giuseppe, for teaching us to admire and respect the essential, which is invisible to the most people.

And our dear mothers, Celma and Rosina, for their example of life and courage.

Thank you very much

PREFACE

In the sprawling metropolises and quaint towns of Brazil, a book has risen to prominence, capturing the hearts and minds of business aficionados and novices alike. Written by the illustrious Prof. Antonio Romano (Sociologist, Economist and successful Italian entrepreneur), and the illustrious Prof. Jacqueline Schreiber Fonseca (Business Administration and human resources expert), it has set a benchmark in the realm of business literature, focusing on a subject many find challenging: managing family businesses.

As you delve into the following pages, you're about to embark on a journey, not only of business acumen but of familial bonds, personal anecdotes, and tested strategies that have made businesses thrive in the most unexpected circumstances.

Working with numerous entrepreneurs, I often come across Family Businesses, and over time, I've noticed how crucial it is to plan ahead to avoid issues in both business and family dynamics. In this book, Antonio Romano and Jacqueline Schreiber have done an outstanding job by presenting case studies that provide insight into what to watch out for and understanding the difficulties one might encounter.

Family businesses hold a unique place in the world of commerce. Unlike traditional corporate structures, these businesses are imbued with personal histories, shared memories, and a profound sense of purpose that ties family members together. Yet, with these intimate bonds come unique challenges. How do you strike a balance between professional responsibilities and personal relationships? How do you ensure that generational transitions are smooth and that the legacy of the founders is preserved while embracing innovation? Antonio Romano and Jacqueline Schreiber, with their vast experience and keen insights, offer practical and deeply philosophical answers.

The journey of Antonio Romano and Jacqueline Schreiber began in the heart of Brazil and continued in Italy where family businesses represent the backbone of the national economy. From local restaurants to small and large companies, the essence of the vibrant Brazilian and Italian business scene is deeply familiar.

It is within this rich tapestry that Romano and Schreiber observed, learned, and later implemented strategies that transformed struggling businesses into success stories. This book, already a bestseller in Brazil, is their gift to the world, revealing secrets that have been kept for generations by successful family business magnates. The synergy among administrators in a family business is unlike any other. It's a dance of trust, mutual respect, and understanding.

The authors point out that the key to a thriving family business lies not just in numbers and strategies but in understanding the underlying emotional dynamics.

This perfect synergy is achieved when directors, despite their personal relationships, can wear their professional shoes with ease, making decisions that are in the best interests of the company and, by extension, the family. As you turn the pages, you'll find that this book is more than a mere guide; it's a collection of stories and examples that greatly enhance understanding.

The authors tell us stories of businesses that were on the verge of collapse but turned around, not thanks to an influx of capital, but by re-establishing trust among family members.

Moreover, the authors do not hesitate to address the significant mistakes many family businesses make. From succession planning pitfalls to the challenges of nepotism, the book provides a candid look at the pitfalls that lie in wait.

But fear not, the authors offers advice to navigate these treacherous waters.

In a world where business books often focus on large companies and their strategies, Romano and Schreiber masterpiece stands out.

It serves as a testament to the strength, resilience, and unparalleled potential of family businesses.

In sharing the secrets and strategies of successful family-run enterprises, the authors offer us more than just a business guide; they provides a manual for preserving legacies, strengthening familial bonds, and ensuring that businesses not only survive but thrive through generations.

To all the readers, whether you are part of a family business, aim to start one, or are merely intrigued by the dynamics of such enterprises, this book promises a journey of discovery.

Let Antonio Romano's and Jacqueline Schreiber wisdom guide you, challenge you, and inspire you to achieve that elusive perfect synergy and unlock the true potential of your family business.

This is a book that everyone should read before embarking on starting a family-owned business.

ALESSANDRO ANTEZZA – Management Engineer - TAMPA - USA

NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS - THE DREAM, THE BUSINESS AND THE FAMILY

After success, the great concern and dream of all entrepreneurs is the continuity of the business. The company is born and grows like a beloved child, and the atrocious doubt is how this "child" will develop and live in the present and in the future, during and beyond those who generated and raised it. This is the question that is always on the mind of the entrepreneurial leader.

Continuity in the timeline and the market, succession beyond inheritance: success beyond time. In this strategic process of careful planning for the future, the nuances of the intimate and delicate relationship between the two most important institutions in an entrepreneur's life are intrinsic: the family and the company.

From that dreamy idea that turns into a small business, without partners, when you are the business and do the business, to team building, when you have a business and also seek to have "the money that works for you".

Interpersonal relationships within the business are decisive for the success, growth and lifetime of the business, in businesses of any size, from micro, small and medium-sized companies, to large companies and multinational corporations or S.A.

At some point, if the entrepreneur is not attentive and careful in managing the professional and social relationships of this business evolutionary process, he will come across situations and conflicts that will make him question: "where did I go wrong?" or "Better sell everything and be done with it?", "I'm tired, I don't know what to do...", "Who am I going to leave the business I've worked in all my life for?"

These are questions and phrases that we hear at various times in the professional and business lives of our clients, friends and different entrepreneurs, over more than 30 years of work, study and experience as consultants and entrepreneurs in different companies, of various formats and sizes.

Forty-three percent of companies have not planned for business succession. Outside of statistics, if on the other hand, the owner of the business has planned the medium and long term with care and attention, the company is going well and everything works, but it still depends on the owner and centralizes everything in his figure and presence or in the "eye of the owner", the questions still persist, with more depth and concern.

When we think about the desire for continuity, of seeing the company created with so much dedication, joy, sweat and tears, resisting and persisting over time, in addition to its creator and founder, the questions become even more complex.

So, we add questions and insecurities about the future with the search for the ideal and safest answer to our legacy: the legacy we want to leave, how we want to be remembered and how we want to take care of our families today and in the future.

Heirs or successors? What will be your legacy as an entrepreneur?

In many cases, the ideal of success in the business world, in the line of continuous time, transcending oneself and seeing the dream gain life and independence and even conquer the world, has a decisive factor in business attitudes: forming successors and not heirs.

So, at some point, the company is or will become a family business, as a constitution or as a legacy or inheritance.

However, if I’m " living with my partner", what changes?

When we mix company and family, in the family business, this entire universe of human relationships is mixed and forms the basis that sustains or kills the business.

Taking care of relationships, or the pillars of the family business in a professional and preventive manner, is a basic and fundamental attitude for continuity. The entrepreneur leaves the business or creature, leaving the "beloved child" to grow and transcend the parents, successfully and safely, in the right and planned time.

We enter, therefore, in the delicate and fragile relationship between the family and business or family and company and, although one is the support and base of the other, they are two distinct institutions. To make it easier to read, this book is divided into three parts.

In the first part, we will address the basic concepts of Sociology of Organizations and Human Resources, where family businesses are an interesting appendix to be studied. We will see the basic characteristics of family businesses, as well as the four contents of this type of business (family, ownership, business, know-how).

In the second part of the book, we will present illustrative and fictitious cases, which will help us in the study of direct relationships between family members and different types of parental compositions in business societies. Together, we are going to study the various conflicts and difficulties in interpersonal and professional relationships between partners, staff and family, on a day-to-day basis and in the future of the business.

Just as there is a need and the ideal format for preparing the successor of the business, the "plan B" of the entrepreneur and the business in time is also necessary.

In the third part, we will dedicate a few pages to strategies for developing the relationship and the succession process up to customs and the delicate phase of transition and generational replacement. Living with my Partner! aims to provide you with moments of great reflection as an entrepreneur and "business owner", based on our studies, experience and expertise, on our take of this particular and intriguing world of business and family.

Our intention is also to create a reflection point for young families who dream of creating a successful family business and a useful vade mecum for those who want to rationalize family relationships in activities that affect the interests of several parental figures.

We want to help you reflect, understand and plan, with greater chances of success and happiness, your relationship with your family and your business, as well as the succession and continuity of your business. That's what inspired us to bring you "Living with my Partner".

Welcome to the world of business-family human relations, to the art of a family business.

INTRODUCTION

THE COMPANY AS A SOCIAL GROUP, AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, AS A FAMILY INSTITUTION

In the human sciences, especially in group sociology and human resource management, we converge in the constant search for understanding the social and group dynamics, of a professional organization of results as a business and enterprise.

Our starting point is seeking to establish the basic concepts of how everything works, from a scientific point of view and in fact, based on studies, research and experiences lived and lived with our customers over the last 30 years, for reflection and analysis of this dynamics of formation of social, business and institutional groups.

In practice, when we know and understand how a professional organization works from the point of view of the entrepreneur and the social group that he forms with his team and family, it becomes clearer how to reach the objective, the desired result, through a cohesive team, motivated and trained within your business.

The possibility of understanding different societies is the central objective of group sociology, through research, continuous observations and analyzes that lead to reflections on the dynamics of society, in time and space.

The possibility of forming, training, motivating and leading a team of success and results is the central objective of Human Resources Management, transforming formal and informal groups into cohesive, motivated and trained teams, focused on results and professional development.

Inspired by Emile Durkheim, considered one of the fathers of Modern Sociology and the concept of "Social Cohesion", we are going to work here in an easy and practical language, following the example of his method: a combination of empirical research with sociological theory, with "pinches" of ideas inspired by the great names of Economics, Modern Management, Human Resources Management and Organizational Psychology, such as Peter Drucker, Michael Porter, Pareto, Kant, Maslow, Dale Carnegie, Stephen Covey and so many "inspirational minds" for the success in the business world.

When we form a team, we need to be based on the concept of forming social groups. In principle, social groups are formed by people who have common goals and interests, in a determined period, in a stable way.

In the family business, we also add the fact that this formal group that is part of the team is also an informal group or one of our primary and original social relationships. All this will allow us to understand the dynamics of social relations within organizations and companies, as well as within family social relations. We then come to the great dilemma of organizations and entrepreneurs in today's world: business succession, legacy and family inheritance.

Throughout our life, we are part of diverse and different social groups in the development and growth as a person. It happens naturally, by our own will, affinity and choice, as well as by circumstance or "obligation", or by factors that are independent of our will.

In the dynamic process of human growth and social relationships, we enter and leave various social groups according to our background, direction, beliefs and values, as well as according to the circumstances, our needs and desires at that particular moment.