Professor’s family business research is top in the nation, fourth globally
Franz W. Kellermanns, a faculty member in the Belk College of Business, again ranked first in the nation and fourth worldwide for family business research in an annual assessment by Texas State University.
UNC Charlotte earned the No. 2 spot nationally and was ninth among universities worldwide.
Texas State University released the Family Business Research Productivity Ranking in December 2024. In its second year, the report provided a global assessment of the universities and scholars at the forefront of family business research.
“This ranking demonstrates that Belk College of Business faculty are leading business innovation, including in family business research,” said Richard Buttimer, dean of the Belk College. “Our faculty’s expertise is critical for understanding the challenges these companies face. The knowledge generated is also useful for other types of firms and for economic development and policy organizations in the rapidly growing Charlotte region.”
Rankings are based on the number of articles published during the most recent five-year period (2019-23) in the three top academic journals that exclusively publish family business research:
- Family Business Review, with a 5-year impact factor of 11.7
- Journal of Family Business Strategy, with a 5-year impact factor of 8.8
- Journal of Family Business Management, with a 5-year impact factor of 3.6
Impact factor measures how often an academic journal’s articles are cited in other works, signaling the importance of a journal in its field.
“Family-owned businesses form the backbone of the economy. How they resolve the issues they encounter offers lessons for them and businesses that work with family firms,” said Kellermanns, the Addison H. and Gertrude C. Reese Endowed Chair in International Business and professor of management. “It is important to study family businesses not only to understand them, but to help them and as a consequence further a strong economy.”
Read more on the Belk College of Business website at https://belkcollege.charlotte.edu/2025/01/10/family-business-research/.