IFERA conference is approaching, the deadline to submit is close (extended to 27th January; call for papers here). To understand what this year’s edition will be all about, we turned to the Chairs of IFERA 2025 and asked them about the conference theme, their hopes and expectations for the conference. We had an energizing and inspiring conversation with Lucia Naldi, Josh Wei-Jun Hsueh, and Daniel Pittino from the Center of Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership (CeFEO) at Jönköping University. Here they share their take on what this upcoming edition will be all about.
- “OWNERSHIP, PURPOSE & RELATIONSHIPS”, how did you land on this theme, and why should we submit our work to IFERA 2025?
Lucia: Nowadays there is a natural and growing focus on technology and structures, but we felt it was time to bring the spotlight back to people, relationships, and values. These elements are at the heart of family businesses! The theme “Ownership, Purpose & Relationships” reflects this intention, emphasizing the human side of businesses.
Josh: In the current machine-led environment and trend where the human touch, the social relationship, the social dynamic will have a role in determining the current business management and strategies. And that is one of the reasons why, in our call for papers, we try to bring back the human aspect to the current dominance of machine learning.
Daniel: Also, if we think about purpose, definitely it has to do with the human agency in the organizations and a human agency in connection to who are the main decision makers and who determines the fates of the organizations who are the owners. So that is in contrast, or at least in a in an attempt to seek a balance between human-centered and algorithmic management.
- What might the conference’s impact be, both in theory and in practice?
Daniel: AI and its tensions with human agency are a very contemporary and pressing topics. So, scholars should definitely submit their work – not only for the nice venue and the excellent networking opportunity at IFERA – but because they will have the chance to debate and dialog with peer scholars that are dealing with these issues and are at the forefront, the frontier of knowledge advancement in organizations in the context of family business. This is, of course, cutting-edge knowledge when it comes about family business.
Josh: Yes, I think we mainly try to go back to the foundations of any kind of entity because the purpose touches many different levels. You have the individual’s purpose, that of organizations, of foundations, or of institutions. All these players have different purposes that interact, shape organizational behaviors and how they use technology. So, we also ask if AI has a purpose, can it really mimic the purpose of all these individuals, organizations, or institutions. That will be interesting to discuss!
- What are you most excited about for this conference?
Josh: Every day begins with an interesting keynote speech. This year we are looking forward to hearing from Ute Stephan (King’s College London), Shahzad Ansari (University of Cambridge), and Mattias Nordqvist (Stockholm School of Economics). All of them are experts in their field and all of them share an interest in understanding purpose from different angles and in various settings. And then there are of course the welcome reception, gala dinner, and award ceremony, the moments when the community comes together.
Lucia: I am especially thrilled to return to IFERA after being unable to attend for several years. It feels like coming back to a community of friends. I’m looking forward to the entire conference.
Daniel: And I am really looking forward to having the chance to also celebrate CeFEO’s 20th anniversary together with the whole family business community. This will be a very, very emotional and happy moment.
- Our members are curious, how did you choose to host the conference in Croatia?
Daniel: First of all, we knew that the previous experience in this location was appreciated by everyone. But also, we played it safe. Jönköping is nice in summer, but you can never be sure about the weather. Still, the weather is not as nice as in Croatia! Also, logistically we think it is easier for all scholars across Europe to converge to a more central location.
Lucia: I attended IFERA in Croatia (same resort) before, and to me, it remains one of the most beautiful locations I have ever visited. Last time, I even had the chance to chat with Luka Modric, the famous football player, who happened to be staying at the resort. Of course, he was not attending the conference. Hosting the conference here again feels like a perfect opportunity to combine great scholarship with a setting that fosters connection and creativity.
Josh: Exactly, putting ourselves in the shoes of the participants, we didn’t just think about the organization of a conference, but rather what the experience for the participants will be like. And based on the previous experience of the resort in Croatia, we think this will add to a good IFERA conference.
We want to thank Lucia, Josh, and Daniel for their time having this conversation. It was a pleasure to chat with them about IFERA, the current trends and discussion in our community and beyond. We hope to inspire new and experienced members to join us in Croatia, June 10 to 13, when we discuss the role of humans in an increasingly algorithmic environment. We invite everyone to submit their full papers, works-in-progress, or research proposals so that also you can experience the intoxicatingly positive energy of this year’s chairs in Croatia.
