Structure in family business put under spotlight

Singapore

DISPUTES in family businesses do not always arise from a clash of opinions or personalities. In fact, it is structure - or more precisely, the lack of it - that most often leads to conflicts.

This was highlighted by Peter Leach, Deloitte UK partner and Deloitte global leader family enterprise consulting, at the Family Business Forum on Tuesday, organised by the Singapore Business Federation, to discuss changes and challenges faced by family businesses today.

"I believe that around 90-95 per cent of issues arising in family business arise because of structural issues as opposed to personality issues," he said, adding that while structural problems are the crux, "they manifest themselves as personality problems". He points out that having a good process to manage differences is what makes them "much less threatening, than if …