Redefining Family Business: Dr. Vikas Mehrotra's Global Perspective on Succession and Strategy

Table Talk with ABFI

In this thought-provoking episode of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Dr. Vikas Mehrotra, Dean of the Alberta School of Business, to challenge fundamental assumptions about what truly defines a family business.

Dr. Mehrotra brings insights from research spanning continents, revealing how traditional definitions based solely on ownership percentages may be fundamentally flawed. His work explores innovative succession practices from Japanese adult adoption – where every single Suzuki CEO has been adopted into the family – to arranged marriages in South Asia, demonstrating how families maintain control with minimal ownership stakes.

The conversation centres on what Dr. Mehrotra calls the "lamp post fallacy" – how researchers have been looking for family business characteristics where data is easiest to find rather than where it's most meaningful. His five-part definition moves beyond ownership thresholds to emphasize succession intention, family embeddedness, and "familyness" as the true distinguishing factors.

A striking revelation emerges from his Japanese research: adopted heirs consistently outperform blood relatives in business performance. Meanwhile, companies like Microsoft, despite Bill Gates' substantial ownership, were never truly family businesses due to absent succession planning, while firms like Casio maintain their family dynasty across generations despite diluted ownership.

The discussion explores critical future challenges, including rising supply chain costs forcing family businesses toward vertical integration and the role of AI and data analytics in attracting next-generation family members. Dr. Mehrotra reveals why Alberta family businesses, particularly in agriculture and energy, are uniquely positioned to leverage these technological advances.

For family business leaders, this episode offers essential insights on succession planning beyond bloodlines, understanding true competitive advantages, and preparing for an increasingly complex global business environment.

Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at [email protected] or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/

Learn more about the Alberta School of Business at https://www.ualberta.ca/business/

This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca