HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeStrategyback to Research & KnowledgeFour generations of the Owens family (D)back to Strategy

Case Study

Four generations of the Owens family (D)

By John L. Ward, Joachim Schwass and Colleen Lief

6 pages

July 2005

Order this case study

Reference: IMD-3-1569

This four part case series follows the Richard Owens family through nearly one hundred years of evolution and change. The family business started with one grocery store in 1906 and, by 1974, had grown into a large private enterprise that included supermarkets, liquor stores and real estate. While competitors could not seem to stop the Owens family business, fractured family relationships and rivalries caused significant problems. In 1974, the conflict came to a head and the firm was split into three, one business line for each sibling. How the businesses fared and how each brother managed his company for the future are the subjects of the B case. Efforts by one branch of the family to avoid the kinds of problems that brought about the division of the original family business are outlined. Governance and ownership issues now faced by the next generation are highlighted. The C case brings participants up-to-date with the evolution of the Richard Owens family’s first constitution and governance policies implemented to help protect the family firm for the future. The D case presents the next step in family and company governance, highlighting the most recent family constitution dated November 2002.

Keywords

Retail

Settings

Australia
1995 - 2005

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

Related material

Video

IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

This case study is part of a series

Four generations of the Owens family (A)
Four generations of the Owens family (B)
Four generations of the Owens family (C)
Four generations of the Owens family (D)

This case study is part of a series

Four generations of the Owens family (A)
Four generations of the Owens family (B)
Four generations of the Owens family (C)
Four generations of the Owens family (D)

Keep reading

Article

Three ways to deal with your boss - Poor Leadership

Three Ways to Deal with Your Boss when they act against civility, empathy, and ethics. Discover strategies to handle difficult workplace dynamics effectively.

Leadership Negotiation Strategy

By Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg

in I by IMD

Article

6 Tips for Leaders - Reputation Building

Six ways leaders can shape corporate reputation building strategies within their organizations, drawing on key insights from a Bloomberg Media study.

Branding Business Ethics Leadership Strategy

By Anne Kawalereski, Michelle Lynn and Elisabeth Oak

in I by IMD

Article

Leadership Thinking - Turbulent Business

To navigate a turbulent business environment, CEOs must understand their landscape and align leadership thinking priorities, advises IMD’s Michael Watkins.

Leadership Resilience Strategy

By Michael D. Watkins

in I by IMD

Case Study

TBC Group: Future proofing a history of success

Strategy Digital Growth

By Goutam Challagalla, Francis D. Kim and Philip Charles Zerrillo

Case Study

Nestlé Health Science: Building a healthy future towards 2030

The board of Nestlé S.A. announced that Anna Mohl would become the CEO of Nestlé Health Science (NHSc) — a global leader in nutritional science — on 1 January 2024. She was delighted to hear about her new position but knew there was little time to...

Strategy General Management Global Business

By Niccolò Pisani, Elham Pazirandeh-Micol, Karine Richard, Liudmila Ost and Quentin de Rham

Article

Managing Multiple Role Identities - Family Enterprise

Leaders of family firms are struggling with multiple role identities, and poor board management is putting the future of family enterprises at risk.

Corporate Governance Family Business Operations Organizational Behavior Organizational Culture

By Alfredo De Massis, Cristina Bettinelli, Manisha Singal and John Davis

in I by IMD

Video

Tolaram Family Enterprise - Building a Legacy

Tolaram’s Mohan Vaswani and Sajen Aswani on how the family enterprise has achieved success across four generations, three continents, and 75 years.

Family Business

By Marleen Dieleman

in I by IMD

Article

A tribute to the life and work of Jess Chua

Jess Chua was a leading scholar in the field of family business and a major contributor to Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice both as an author and editor. His significant contributions to the field were acknowledged by the Web of Science, which...

Family Business

By James J. Chrisman, Zhenyu Wu, Alfredo De Massis and et al.

in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice

5 February 2025, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251315653

Three ways to deal with your boss - Poor Leadership

By Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg
in I by IMD

Summary

Three Ways to Deal with Your Boss when they act against civility, empathy, and ethics. Discover strategies to handle difficult workplace dynamics effectively.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Leadership

Negotiation

Strategy

Browse all topics

6 Tips for Leaders - Reputation Building

By Anne Kawalereski Michelle Lynn and Elisabeth Oak
in I by IMD

Summary

Six ways leaders can shape corporate reputation building strategies within their organizations, drawing on key insights from a Bloomberg Media study.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Branding

Business Ethics

Leadership

Strategy

Browse all topics

Leadership Thinking - Turbulent Business

By Michael D. Watkins
in I by IMD

Summary

To navigate a turbulent business environment, CEOs must understand their landscape and align leadership thinking priorities, advises IMD’s Michael Watkins.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Leadership

Resilience

Strategy

Browse all topics

CO-RO (B): Weathering the storm

By Omar Toulan and Valerie Keller-Birrer
Case reference: IMD-7-2640 ©2025

Summary

Case B describes the unprecedented challenges faced by CO-RO in 2020. The implementation of the sugar tax in its largest Middle Eastern market led to a near 50% volume drop in CO-RO’s sales, and Covid-19 lockdowns impacted the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in particular. These events led to a dramatic drop in net sales and gross profit, forcing CO-RO to re-evaluate its growth strategy and implement cost-saving measures. By 2022, CO-RO faced further challenges with global supply chain disruptions and inflation due to the war in Ukraine. This required strategic decisions to stabilize and ensure future growth amid ongoing external pressures.

Reference IMD-7-2640

Organization CO-RO Group

Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

Browse all topics

CO-RO (A): Storm clouds forming

By Omar Toulan and Valerie Keller-Birrer
Case reference: IMD-7-2590 ©2025

Summary

The CO-RO Group is a manufacturer of fruit-based still drinks, concentrates and ambient ice (home-freeze popsicles) headquartered in Denmark. Although production takes place in Denmark, most of its products are sold internationally, with the company relying on long-term local partners to convert and market the finished products. Historically, the company focused on markets in which fruit-based drinks were rare, which led to steady growth in line with GDP and population increases; 70% of sales and 80% of profits came from the Middle East. Set between 2015 and 2019, Case A describes the company’s “Shape for Growth” strategy, which aimed to reduce over-reliance on key markets and resulted in new market entries and over 150 new products. This strategy also mitigated the effects of the 2014-2016 oil price crisis. However, in 2019, Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a 50% sugar tax on sweetened beverages threatened to significantly reduce market volumes.

Reference IMD-7-2590

Organization CO-RO Group

Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

Browse all topics

TBC Group: Future proofing a history of success

By Goutam Challagalla Francis D. Kim and Philip Charles Zerrillo
Case reference: IMD-2651 ©2025

Summary

The case explores TBC Bank Group’s remarkable journey from a small Georgian bank to a regional leader in digital financial services across Central Asia. Founded in 1992 with just US$500 in initial capital, TBC evolved into Georgia’s largest financial institution and pioneered into digital banking. The case highlights TBC’s strategic expansion into Uzbekistan, where it rapidly built a leading digital banking ecosystem. Students will analyze TBC’s international growth approach as it transformed customer experience, leveraged technology and built a sustainable competitive advantage through product diversification, strong organizational culture and operational agility. The case explores international market entry, digital transformation and aligning strategies with local market needs, highlighting how TBC’s focus on innovation drives its regional expansion.

Reference IMD-2651

Organization TBC Bank Group

Industry Finance and Insurance, Banking

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

Digital

Growth

Browse all topics

Nestlé Health Science: Building a healthy future towards 2030

By Niccolò Pisani Elham Pazirandeh-Micol Karine Richard Liudmila Ost and Quentin de Rham
Case reference: IMD-7-2636 ©2025

Summary

Reference IMD-7-2636

Organization Nestlé Health Science

Industry Healthcare, Health and Medical Services;Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Strategy

General Management

Global Business

Browse all topics

Managing Multiple Role Identities - Family Enterprise

By Alfredo De Massis Cristina Bettinelli Manisha Singal and John Davis
in I by IMD

Summary

Leaders of family firms are struggling with multiple role identities, and poor board management is putting the future of family enterprises at risk.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Corporate Governance

Family Business

Operations

Organizational Behavior

Organizational Culture

Browse all topics