Reinventing the Legacy: How Family Firms Adapt, Learn, and Lead

Call for Papers

Family businesses are shaped by their history, values, and relationships across generations, but enduring success also requires the courage to evolve. This year’s conference explores how family firms can build on what makes them distinctive while embracing new ideas, technologies, and ways of leading. Bringing together family business owners, next-generation leaders, advisors, and academics, we will share experiences of navigating change, learning across generations, and turning new challenges into opportunities. The discussions will look at how families can strengthen resilience, encourage curiosity and innovation, and prepare both their businesses and their people for what comes next. At its heart, the conference is about reinventing legacy: carrying forward what matters most while creating the confidence and capacity to shape the future.

The conference organisers are inviting researchers to submit recent papers or extended abstracts on family firm topics. Papers that touch on family enterprise indirectly but offer valuable insights are also welcome. Each paper will be assigned a discussant, and time will be provided for questions and comments from the audience.

IMPORTANT DATES

A selection will be made by the conference scientific committee from papers and abstracts that are submitted before the deadline of 1 February 2027 (at midnight CET). Researchers will be notified whether their paper has been accepted for the conference before 1 March 2027. Program queries should be directed to Janis Berzins (janis.berzins@bi.no).

CONFERENCE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

Morten Bennedsen (University of Copenhagen and ECGI)
Janis Berzins (BI Norwegian Business School and BFFI)
Valdone Darškuviene (ISM University Management and Economics and BFFI)
Krista Jaakson (University of Tartu and BFFI)
Valerija Kozlova (Stockholm School of Economics and BFFI)
Anete Pajuste (Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, BFFI and ECGI)
Alminas Žaldokas (National University of Singapore and ECGI)
Yupana Wiwattanakantang (National University of Singapore and ECGI)

📆 Conference details: 
Monday, 14 June - Tuesday, 15 June 2027

📍 Conference Location: 
ISM University of Management and Economics, Vilnius, Lithuania