Since 1987, the Cox Family Enterprise Center (CFEC) has been dedicated to the research, education, and recognition of family businesses. Our commitment to this fundamental economic and social unit has allowed the CFEC to support and guide family businesses through our innovative programming, outreach, and scientific research.

Our mission is to improve the well being of family businesses through education for families and business leaders, recognition of the contributions family businesses make to society, and the scientific research of family businesses.

As one of the first university-based centers of its kind, the CFEC remains on the cutting edge of family business education and research and has played a critical role in serving family businesses and furthering economic development. Our premier program is the Executive MBA for Families in Business, the only one of its kind, offered to business-owning families around the globe.

Today, two out of five Fortune 500 firms are family businesses. (Think Ford Motors and Wal-mart.) The majority of all U.S. companies are owned, operated, or otherwise managed by mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters.

Clearly, family ties can make business strong. But they can also make business more complicated.

The Cox Family Enterprise Center is here to help.

NEWS FLASH:

The Cox Family Enterprise Center will be editorial offices of the new scientific journal, Journal of Family Business Strategy. It is an honor to be selected by the esteemed publisher Elsevier to oversee one of their newest ventures. Joe Astrachan is Editor and Torsten Pieper is Assistant Editor.

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Research Alert

The Family Business Casebook Annual 2008-2009 is now available. Contact us if you would like a copy.

Mechanisms to assure family business cohesion: Guidelines for family business leaders and their families, by Torsten M. Pieper and Joseph H. Astrachan is now available. Contact us if you would like a copy.