Belk College researcher named top in nation, fourth globally in family business field

Belk College of Business Professor Franz W. Kellermanns has again ranked first in the nation and fourth worldwide for family business research in an annual assessment by Texas State University.

UNC Charlotte earned the No. 2 spot nationally and was ninth among universities worldwide. Texas State University released the Family Business Research Productivity Ranking in December 2024, in the second year of the report. The global assessment provides insight into the universities and scholars at the forefront of family business research.

“This ranking demonstrates that Belk College of Business faculty are leading business innovation, including in family business research,” said Belk College Dean Richard Buttimer. “Our faculty’s expertise is critical for understanding the challenges these companies face. The knowledge generated is also useful for other types of firms and for economic development and policy organizations in the rapidly growing Charlotte region.”

Rankings are based on the number of articles published during the most recent five-year period (2019-2023) in the three top academic journals that exclusively publish family business research, which are:

• Family Business Review, with a 5-year impact factor of 11.7
• Journal of Family Business Strategy, with a 5-year impact factor of 8.8
• Journal of Family Business Management, with a 5-year impact factor of 3.6

Impact factor measures how often an academic journal’s articles are cited in other works, signaling the importance of a journal in its field.

“Family-owned businesses form the backbone of the economy. How they resolve the issues they encounter offers lessons for them and businesses that work with family firms,” said Kellermanns, the Addison H. & Gertrude C. Reese Endowed Chair in International Business and Professor of Management. “It is important to study family businesses not only to understand them, but also to help them and as a consequence further a strong economy.”

Recent Charlotte family business research has focused on topics including:

• IPO financing’s impact on family firms’ internationalization
• The perspective of family companies’ CEOs on the issue of family cohesion and the relationship to the companies’ performance
• Family businesses’ contribution to the U.S. economy
• Succession planning
• Gender and leadership in family firms
• Emotional attachment to family firms
• Performance implications of governments’ policy frequency between family and non-family new-energy automobile companies

Kellermanns holds a joint appointment with the Center for Family Business at the WHU–Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. He earned a doctoral degree from the University of Connecticut. His research interests include international business, strategy process and entrepreneurship with a focus on family business research. He has earned a number of international and national rankings.