This four page document summarises the content and outcomes of the workshop.
Jan Bebbington
Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, gives her perspective on resilience.
This 2 day event, on 28 and 29 April 2022, brought together over 30 representatives of family business (individually and representative bodies); policy makers, and academic contributors to enter into frank, and generative, dialogue about the concept of resilience and its multiple interpretations through the lenses of planet, place and people – all within the context of family business.
This dedicated resource provides an overview of how our collective project is applying diverse perspectives to the complex challenge of building resilience in family business.
Resilience is a theme for our times. Recent global events including the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the escalating climate crisis, and movements such as #Metoo and Black Lives Matter exposing systemic inequalities, are putting pressure on organisations to rethink how they do business and how they contribute to the health and wellbeing of their workforces, their communities and their environment.
As major contributors to the global economy, and with an eye to securing the business for future generations family businesses are a perfect site to interrogate how businesses adapt and transform to build resilient organisations that can positively deal with change and thrive in difficult times.
The workshop was co-organised by:
An overview of the themes and concepts covered during the event, from each of the four co-organisers.
Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University, gives her perspective on resilience.
Allan Discua Cruz, Director of the Centre for Family Business at Lancaster University Management School, gives his perspective on resilience.
Valerie Stead, Director of the Academy for Gender, Work and Leadership at Lancaster University Management School, gives her perspective on resilience.
Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University Management School, gives his perspective on resilience.
Three keynote presentations were delivered during the workshop. The slide decks of each are available to download below. Please don't reproduce without permission.
Day 1
Fundamentals of Resilience in the Anthropocene Biosphere - Henrik Österblom, Science Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre
The Planet and Resilience - Duncan Pollard, Honorary Professorial Fellow, Pentland Centre
Day 2
People, Places and Resilience - Susan Murray, Director, David Hume Institute
Watch the video below to hear what some attendees got out of the workshop.
Sara Brennan, Positive Business Director at Pentland Brands, and Professor Helen Tregidga, Royal Holloway, share their reflections as participants in the Resilience and Family Business Workshop, Lancaster University, 28-29 Apr 2022
All photos by Paul Turner
The workshop is opened by Lancaster University Vice-Chancellor, Andy Schofield
Co-organiser Valerie Stead, Director of the Academy for Gender, Work and Leadership, speaks to the audience.
Co-organiser Allan Discua Cruz, Director of the Centre for Family Business, speaks to the audience
Day 1, first keynote from Henrik Österblom, Science Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre. Fundamentals of Resilience in the Anthropocene Biosphere.
L-R: Jan Bebbington, Director of the Pentland Centre and our two keynote speakers on day 1; Henrik Österblom, Science Director, Stockholm Resilience Centre and Duncan Pollard, Honorary Professorial Fellow, Pentland Centre.
Susan Murray, Director, David Hume Institute, delivers her keynote on day 2 of the event: People, Places and Resilience
Sue Howorth (Family Business Community) and Miruna Radu-Lefebvre (Audencia University) participate in the first panel on Day 2. Family businesses at the heart of local economic resilience
Melanie Willkes, Head of Research, Work Foundation, speaking as part of the first panel on day 2. Family businesses at the heart of local economic resilience
Ellie Hamilton, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Lancaster University Management School, contributes to the second panel on Day 2. Gender dynamics and their relationship to family business, wellbeing and resilience.
Maura McAdam, Professor of Management, Dublin City University, participates in the second panel on Day 2. Gender dynamics and their relationship to family business, wellbeing and resilience
Sue Marlow, Nottingham Business School, engages with the audience as part of the second panel on Day 2. Gender dynamics and their relationship to family business, wellbeing and resilience.
Event co-organiser, Jan Bebbington, engaging in conversation with other participants.
Andreas Strobl, Senior Lecturer in International Strategy and and Katy Mason, Professor of Markets, Marketing and Management, both of Lancaster University Management School, engage in structured discussions on day 1.
Co-organiser Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation, contributes to discussions.
Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Stockholm Resilience Centre, in conversation with Natalia Vershinina, Audencia University and Susan Marlow, Nottingham University.
Sara Brennan, Positive Business Director, Pentland Brands, engages other participants in conversation, day 1.
Martin Kemp, Institute of Family Business Research Foundation and co-organiser Allan Discua Cruz, Director, Centre for Family Business, Lancaster University Management School, participate in structured discussions and reflections on day 2.