Sustainable Family Business & Entrepreneurship

  • Cinzia COLAPINTO

    Full Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship

  • Elisa CONTI

    Associate Professor of Economics | BBA Program Director


Under the aegis of the IPAG’s Department for Research, Dissemination and Impact, the IPAG Chair “Sustainable Family Business and Entrepreneurship” stands at the forefront of academic research and teaching in family business sustainability and entrepreneurial practices. 

The Chair serves as a hub for the study and promotion of sustainable practices in family businesses and entrepreneurship, facilitating a future in which business success is harmoniously aligned with societal and environmental stewardship. 

Members of the Chair are affiliated with the international STEP Project Global Consortium, which connects the Chair with a broad range of international institutions and players, all dedicated to exploring sustainable family business models.

RESEARCH

The Chair of Sustainable Family Business & Entrepreneurship’s pillars are: 

  • Research Excellence: Advancing the body of knowledge on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and family-owned businesses can thrive across time while contributing positively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We focus on cutting-edge research that informs policy, practice, and academic theory, as the numerous publications in top-tier ranked academic, and professional-oriented reports show.
  • Collaborative Engagement: Building strong partnerships with small and medium companies, family businesses, industry experts, and policymakers to foster a collaborative environment where knowledge exchange and innovation thrive. This manifests in the variety of events organised by the Chair, such as the International Family Business Research Forum (IFBRF 2024 in Cyprus) and the Global Family Business Summits (2024 in Italy, 2025 in Mexico, and 2026 in France).
  • Global Impact: Influencing family businesses and entrepreneurial ventures worldwide, advocating for sustainable practices that ensure long-term prosperity and ecological balance.
  • Innovative Teaching: Integrating real-world challenges with cutting-edge research to create experiential, future-focused learning environments. By emphasising the intersection of sustainability, family enterprise dynamics, and entrepreneurial strategy, the Chair fosters teaching methods that go beyond traditional lectures - such as case-based learning, live consulting projects with family firms, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

As an organ of the IPAG’s Department for Research, Dissemination, and Impact, the Chair, under the supervision of Prof. C. Colapinto and Dr. E. Conti, not only contributes to academic discourse but also drives tangible impact in the business world and enriches pedagogical practices and programs. 

Our pursuit is to nurture a new era of family businesses and entrepreneurs who are as committed to sustainability and ethical practices as they are to economic success.

Involved in entrepreneurship research for over 15 years in France and internationally, Prof. Colapinto's research interests concern the dynamics that SMEs and family businesses face in the pursuit of sustainability and innovation. Her empirical research focuses on the impact of digital transformation on business strategies and on how companies can foster change. 

Dr. Conti’s research interests lie at the intersection of economic development, gender, and sustainability within the context of family firms. She is particularly interested in how family-owned businesses, as dominant drivers of economic activity worldwide, contribute to broader patterns of development through job creation, innovation, and long-term investment. 

 

Team

Activities

CO-LEADERS

  • Prof. Cinzia Colapinto, Co-Leader of the Chair 
    Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, IPAG Business School
    Co-Head, Research Axis in “Entrepreneurship & Family Business,” IPAG Business School
    Associate Professor, Venice School of Business (Ca’Foscari University)
    Member of the Board, SPGC – STEP Project Global Consortium
  • Dr. Elisa Conti, Co-Leader of the Chair
    Associate Professor of Economics, IPAG Business School
    Co-Representative of the IPAG Business School, SPGC–STEP Project Global Consortium 

AFFILIATED MEMBERS

  • Prof. Andrea CALABRÒ 
    Founder and scientific advisor of the Chair
    Professor of Practice in Family Business & Entrepreneurship at SDA Bocconi.
    Academic Director at STEP Project Global Consortium (SPGC)
  • Prof. Dr. Hab. Jan Philipp AHRENS 
    Head of the Interdisciplinary Research Group Family Firms of the University of Mannheim
    Private Professor in Entrepreneurship, University of Mannheim
    Affiliate Researcher in Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, IPAG Business School
    Associate Editor, Journal of Family Business Strategy
  • Dr. Claudia PONGELLI
    Associate Professor of Business Management at Università degli Studi Link
    Affiliate Researcher, IPAG Business School
  • Mrs. Daniela PAVAN
    Innovation designer and IPAG adjunct professor
  • Dr Rosalia SANTULLI
    Associate Professor of Corporate Finance at the University of Genoa, Italy

RESEARCH COOPERATIONS

In our research projects, we cooperate, amongst others, with researchers in the following institutions: 

  • University of Mannheim (Interdisciplinary Research Group Family Firms), Germany
  • SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan, Italy
  • Venice School of Management, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Italy
  • University of Macerata, Italy
  • ESPAE Graduate School of Management, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Ecuador
  • ESPOL, Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Olayan School of Business, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
  • University of Bologna, Italy
  • University of Jaén, Spain.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (LAST 5 YEARS)

JOURNAL ARTICLES (refereed)
 

  • Samara, G., Bang, N. P., Conti, E., et al. (2026). Mindset matters! The active involvement of women in family businesses: harnessing context through the STEP project. Journal of Business Research, 205, 115866.

  • Colapinto, C., Masé, S. (2025) Introducing Twin Transitions in Family Businesses: A Triple-Bottom-Line Perspective, Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12786

  • Masè S., Lasio V., Cano-Rubio M., Samara G., Calabrò A. (2025). Contextual dimensions of family firm legacy: a symbolic approach to social capital. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, Vol. 31 No. 9 pp. 2335–2355, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-09-2024-0980 

  • Calabrò, A., Torchia, M., Gomez‐Mejia, L. R., Pongelli, C., & Lohe, F. W. (2025). What Are Family Firms All About? Advancing Family Business Research Through Socioemotional Wealth Theory. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13263

  • Calabrò, A., Conti, E., & Masè, S. (2024). Trapped in a “golden cage”! The legitimation of women leadership in family business. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 15(2), 100569.

  • Coco, N.,  Colapinto, C., & Finotto, V. (2024), Bridging conflicting frames in policies for digital transformation, Science and Public Policy,  vol. 51, pp. 285-296 https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scad068

  • Arregle, J. L., Calabrò, A., Hitt, M. A., Kano, L., & Schwens, C. (2024). Family business and international business: Breaking silos and establishing a rigorous way forward. Journal of World Business, 59(3), 101532.

  • Issah, W. B., & Calabrò, A. (2024). The impact of digitalization on family firms’ performance: the moderating role of family goals. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 71, 3727-3740.

  • Coco, N.,  Colapinto, C., & Finotto, V. (2023) Fostering digital literacy among Small and Micro Enterprises: Digital transformation as an open and guided innovation process, R&D Management,  https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12645

  • Valenza, G., Caputo, A., & Calabrò, A. (2023). Is small and medium-sized beautiful? The structure and evolution of family SMEs research. Journal of Family Business Management, 13(2), 453-485.

  • Colapinto, C., Finotto, V., & Mauracher, C. (2022). Female entrepreneurship in the wine sector: the role of family and identity in Italian small and medium wineries strategies, Women, Family and Family Businesses Across Entrepreneurial Contexts, Elgar, 187-204.

  • Fernandez, D. B., Van Migom, M., Conti, E., & Alavoine, C. (2022). Confiance et Économie collaborative: étude d’une communauté d’autopartage. Management & Sciences Sociales, 33(2), 171-185.

  • Gimenez-Jimenez, D., Edelman, L. F., Dawson, A., & Calabrò, A. (2022). Women entrepreneurs’ progress in the venturing process: The impact of risk aversion and culture. Small Business Economics, 58(2), 1091-1111.

  • Santulli, R., Gallucci, C., Torchia, M., & Calabrò, A. (2022). Family managers' propensity towards mergers and acquisitions: the role of performance feedback. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 29(2), 293-310.

  • Calabrò, A., Torchia, M., Jimenez, D. G., & Kraus, S. (2021). The role of human capital on family firm innovativeness: the strategic leadership role of family board members. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(1), 261-287.

  • Calabrò, A., Frank, H., Minichilli, A., & Suess-Reyes, J. (2021). Business families in times of crises: The backbone of family firm resilience and continuity. Journal of Family Business Strategy, 12(2), 100442.

BOOKS
 

  • Jayakumar, T., Conti, E., Calabrò, A., Rivas, A. A. A., & Rodríguez, Y. E. (Eds.). (2025). Family Business Sustainability Case Studies Across the World. Edward Elgar Publishing.

  • Calabrò, A. (2020). "Introducing A Research Agenda for Family Business". In A Research Agenda for Family Business. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788974073.00005Books chapters

  • Conti, E., & Calabrò, A. (2025). Women leaders in family firms: Are they breaking the glass ceiling and redefining their golden cage? In M. Banno & G. D’Allura (Eds.), Feminist perspectives in business studies: Breaking barriers in entrepreneurship, governance and management. Edward Elgar Publishing.

  • Colapinto, C., Finotto, V., & Coco, N., (2021). Supporting Pervasive Digitization in Italian SMEs Through an Open Innovation Process, in Hinterhuber, A., Vescovi, T., Checchinato, F. (eds) Managing Digital Transformation. Understanding the Strategic Process, Routledge.

EVENTS
 

2026

Forthcoming: SPGC Global Family Business Summit 2026 hosted by IPAG Business School: “(In)stability at the Frontiers. Family Business in an Age of Shifting Grounds." (link: https://www.spgcfb.org/global-summit-nice-2026)


PAST EVENTS
 

  • SPGC Global Family Business Summit 2025 held at EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico: "Evolution & Revolution: Transformation, Transition & Trust."

  • SPGC Global Family Business Summit, Amalfi Coast (Italy), 2024, “The Path to Good: Sustaining Family Business Legacy for Wellbeing.” 

  • 7th International Family Business Research Forum (IFBRF), Cyprus University of Technology in Paphos (Cyprus), 2024.

EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
 

The Chair “Sustainable Family Business & Entrepreneurship” is actively involved in a portfolio of European Research–Pedagogy projects funded by the European Union, all sharing a common mission: empowering women and disadvantaged populations through entrepreneurship. These initiatives combine research, innovative teaching methods, and hands-on training to foster social inclusion, employability, and sustainable venture creation across Europe.

Over the past years, the Chair has contributed to and delivered half a dozen EU-funded projects, including the following flagship programs:

  1. European Prisoners’ Entrepreneurship Program (EPEP) – Erasmus+

The EPEP project supports prisoners and ex-prisoners in their reintegration into society through entrepreneurship training. Coordinated by INFO ELEA, it was implemented with a European consortium including IPAG Business School , Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy), University of Liège (Belgium), Institut provincial d’enseignement de promotion sociale (Belgium), and Justice Deuxième Chance (France). The program equipped participants with entrepreneurial skills, confidence, and practical tools to build a sustainable professional future.

  1. Empowering Survivors of Domestic Violence (EASE) – Erasmus+

The EASE program is designed to help survivors of domestic violence reintegrate into society by training them to create and develop their own businesses. Coordinated by Munich Business School, the project brought together IPAG Business School (France), the University of New York in Prague (Czech Republic), Think Young (Belgium), Fondatsiya Bulgarski Tsentar za Gender Izvedvaniya (Bulgaria), and Led by Her (France). EASE combined empowerment, skills development, and entrepreneurship as a pathway to autonomy and social inclusion.

  1. Women in Technology Entrepreneurship (WETECH) – Erasmus+

The WITECH program aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit of female students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It designed and implemented blended learning approaches in entrepreneurship education. Coordinated by Politecnico di Milano, the project was deployed with IPAG Business School (France), Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (Finland), Technological University Dublin (Ireland), Digital Hub Development Agency (Ireland), Startup Shortcut Oy (Finland), and Polihub Servizi (Italy).

Partners