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The creation of Family Business Review (FBR) was not inevitable. It began with a conversation among scholars and practitioners who believed that family business deserved its own field of study.
In a recent discussion, early editors Ivan Lansberg, Kelin Gersick, and Joe Astrachan reflected on those formative years—how the journal grew from what Lansberg described as “a blank piece of paper on the deck” into a globally respected academic publication.
At the time, the concept of family business as a distinct research field had little legitimacy in academia. Scholars worked in isolated disciplines—management, psychology, economics—without a shared forum or language for studying family enterprises.
The early editors faced several challenges: building credibility for the journal, attracting submissions, assembling an editorial board, and bridging two audiences that rarely intersected—academic researchers and practicing advisors. As Astrachan noted, creating a publication that could serve both communities was nearly impossible, yet it was central to the mission.
One of the journal’s greatest contributions has been developing a common nomenclature, frameworks, and conceptual language that allow scholars and practitioners to share ideas and build on each other’s work. Early research often relied on experiential insights from advisors and consultants. Today, decades of global data on family enterprise systems provide a much richer empirical foundation for research and practice.
Looking ahead, the editors see the journal’s future rooted in original research and authentic insights into family enterprise life—even in an era shaped by artificial intelligence. What keeps a scholarly journal alive, they observed, is when readers recognize their lived experience on its pages: work that is timely, relevant, honest, and reflective of the realities faced by business families around the world.
Listen to the interview below.
Go here to read the inaugural issue of FBR. First published March 1, 1988. Access to this article is open without subscription until May 1, 2026.
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About the Contributors
Joe Astrachan
Editor, Family Business Review (1995–2008)
Joe Astrachan is co-founder of Generation6 Family Enterprise Advisors. He served as editor of Family Business Review and co-founded the Journal of Family Business Strategy. Joe has received numerous honors for his research, writing, and service, including the Richard Beckhard Practice Award, International Award, and FFI Fellow status from the Family Firm Institute.
Kelin Gersick
Editor, Family Business Review (1990–1995)
Kelin Gersick is partner emeritus at Lansberg Gersick Advisors. He has taught at Harvard University and Yale University and is professor emeritus of organizational psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology. Kelin is the recipient of the Richard Beckhard Practice Award and is an FFI Fellow.
Ivan Lansberg
Founding Editor, Family Business Review (1988–1995)
Ivan Lansberg is Founding Partner of Lansberg Gersick Advisors. Ivan is one of the founders of the Family Firm Institute (FFI) and served as the first editor of its scholarly journal, Family Business Review. After receiving BA, MA, and PhD degrees from Columbia University, Lansberg taught at the Columbia Graduate School of Business before becoming professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Organization and Management. He received the Richard Beckhard Practice Award and is an FFI Fellow.
View this edition in our enhanced digital edition format with supporting visual insight and information.
