WIFU - Wittener Institut für Familienunternehmen

The Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU) conducts transdisciplinary research on family businesses and business families. The research team examines the problems and challenges of family businesses and business families in all their complexity. Linking disciplines and joining theory and practice constitute the methodical approach of our research. WIFU’s research strategy is consistently aimed at topics which we have identified as core areas of our work. The topics covered are as diverse as the family businesses themselves. They encompass aspects of succession arrangements, family strategy, corporate and family governance, growth and internationalisation, shareholder configurations and conflicts, characteristics of long-lasting family businesses, opportunities and risks in owner-leadership, crisis dynamics, financing, personnel and management, and the law of family businesses. As well as large research projects, the Institute also supervises numerous habilitations, doctorates, and Master’s and Bachelor dissertations on these issues.