This indispensable Handbook provides a timely and comprehensive guide to the methodological challenges of qualitative research in family business. Written by an international, multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, the Handbook takes a hands-on approach, offering valuable insights into a range of methods and related questions. Providing practical guidance based on the experiences of senior researchers, as well as expanding conceptual understanding of qualitative methods, chapters explore existing practices and issues common to many research projects, such as getting access to informants and technical or publication hurdles. Featuring reflective discussion on how to craft insightful, rigorous studies, the Handbook will increase scholars' confidence in using qualitative methods in their own research, from traditional case studies to more recent methods such as QCA. This Handbook will prove invaluable to instructors of qualitative research methods, as well as scholars and students of family business and entrepreneurship. Researchers using qualitative methods in other social sciences will also find its recommendations relevant and useful. Contributors include: R. Adiguna, N. Bhatnagar, M. Brumana, A. Calabro, A. Colli, A. Dawson, A. De Massis, C. Dessi, A. Dettori, G. Dorian, K.D. Elsbach, P. Fernandez Perez, D. Fletcher, M. Floris, I. Ghai, W. Gibb Dyer, V.L. Glaser, F. Hoy, A.E. James, J.E. Jennings, N. Kammerlander, K. Kampouri, R. Labaki, G. Laffranchini, G. Lauto, T. Leppaaho, L. Melin, E. Micelotta, L.M. Nor, M. Nordqvist, E. Paavilainen-Mantymaki, M.J. Parada Balderrama, D. Pittino, E. Plakoyiannaki, C. Pongelli, K. Ramachandran, A. Ruzzene, A.G. Sandig, P. Sharma, E.A. Tetzlaff, J. van Helvert-Beugels, K. Vasilevska, F. Visintin, M. Waldkirch, M. Yusof

This indispensable Handbook provides a timely and comprehensive guide to the methodological challenges of qualitative research in family business. Written by an international, multidisciplinary team of experts in the field, the Handbook takes a hands-on approach, offering valuable insights into a range of methods and related questions. Providing practical guidance based on the experiences of senior researchers, as well as expanding conceptual understanding of qualitative methods, chapters explore existing practices and issues common to many research projects, such as getting access to informants and technical or publication hurdles. Featuring reflective discussion on how to craft insightful, rigorous studies, the Handbook will increase scholars' confidence in using qualitative methods in their own research, from traditional case studies to more recent methods such as QCA. This Handbook will prove invaluable to instructors of qualitative research methods, as well as scholars and students of family business and entrepreneurship. Researchers using qualitative methods in other social sciences will also find its recommendations relevant and useful. Contributors include: R. Adiguna, N. Bhatnagar, M. Brumana, A. Calabro, A. Colli, A. Dawson, A. De Massis, C. Dessi, A. Dettori, G. Dorian, K.D. Elsbach, P. Fernandez Perez, D. Fletcher, M. Floris, I. Ghai, W. Gibb Dyer, V.L. Glaser, F. Hoy, A.E. James, J.E. Jennings, N. Kammerlander, K. Kampouri, R. Labaki, G. Laffranchini, G. Lauto, T. Leppaaho, L. Melin, E. Micelotta, L.M. Nor, M. Nordqvist, E. Paavilainen-Mantymaki, M.J. Parada Balderrama, D. Pittino, E. Plakoyiannaki, C. Pongelli, K. Ramachandran, A. Ruzzene, A.G. Sandig, P. Sharma, E.A. Tetzlaff, J. van Helvert-Beugels, K. Vasilevska, F. Visintin, M. Waldkirch, M. Yusof

Adaptation to discontinuous technological change constitutes a major, yet vincible challenge for established companies. This book reveals crucial differences between the challenges that family-owned and managed firms face as compared to non-family firms. Series of case studies in the German retailing and book publishing industries illustrate those differences. Empirical evidence as presented in the book further shows how organizational identity affects whether and in what way firms adapt to radical shifts in their environment.

Nadine Kammerlander und Reinhard Prugl geben einen pragnanten UEberblick uber Innovationen in Familienunternehmen und beleuchten den Innovationsprozess von Familienunternehmen in seinen einzelnen Bestandteilen. Dabei werden die Starken und Schwachen von Familienunternehmen bezuglich Produkt-, Prozess- und Business Model-Innovationen sowie die Chance fur Familienunternehmen, ihren Innovationsprozess zu oeffnen ("Open Innovation") diskutiert. Besondere Bedeutung kommt dabei auch der Nachfolge in Familienunternehmen zu, die unter bestimmten Voraussetzungen erfolgreich mit Wandel und Innovation verbunden werden kann.

Metallic nanoparticles have been studied intensively during the last decades because of their intriguing optical properties: Due to collective oscillations of the conducting electrons - the so called plasmonic oscillations - they absorb light in the visible spectrum. The resonance frequency thereby sensitively depends on parameters such as the particle size and shape as well as the dielectric constant of the medium. DNA exhibits outstanding recognition properties and can be modified easily. Thus, template-directed material synthesis along synthetic DNA is a promising route to grow nanoparticles of defined shape and size and with defined interparticle-spacing. In this study, two different methods are used to deposit silver on oligonucleotides of different lengths, ranging from 23 to 96 basepairs, in order to synthesize metallic nanorods of controlled aspect ratios. The first method involves the specific labeling of nucleotides with aldehyde groups, followed by exposure to a Tollens reagent and a developer. The second method relies on the photoinduced deposition of silver onto unmodified DNA samples. Several preparation parameters such as the DNA sequence, buffer salt type, silver concentration and UV illumination time are varied systematically. The metallized DNA molecules are characterized concerning their optical and structural properties. Absorption spectra show plasmon peaks around 420nm. Peak positions, intensities and bandwidths are analyzed. Dynamic Light Scattering studies in solution provide information about the particle sizes as well as their structural asymmetry. Both optical techniques are used to observe the temporal evolution of the nanoparticle growth in the Tollens metallization process. Structural information is inferred from Atomic Force Microscopy; for that purpose, the particles are deposited on single-crystalline silicon substrates.