Structure & Content

Module 1 | The governance of family businesses 

• Specific challenges of family businesses and their special features and characteristics 
• Corporate and family governance as well as inheritance law 
• Significance and handling of advisory boards 
• Family strategy and succession planning 
• Introductory day on scientific methods

Module 2 | Asset Investment, Financing and Controlling 

• Introduction to professional asset investment, asset allocation and asset classes 
• Familiarization with the family office concept 
• Knowledge of accounting from a controlling perspective 
• Acquisition of an understanding of investment and financing calculations 
• Practical exercises to prepare for contacts with banks, tax consultants and auditors 
• Current research in the field of financing family businesses

Module 4 | Leadership competence for family businesses 

• Fundamentals of leadership and leadership models for family businesses 
• Possible leadership roles of the senior and junior generation 
• Leadership and its embedding in the corporate culture 
• Personnel recruitment, employer branding and incentivization 
• Dealing with issues of employment law and employee representation

Module 5 | Marketing for family businesses 

• Branding and brand management for family businesses 
• Familyness and its advantages and disadvantages in marketing 
• Practical exercises on PR for family businesses 
• External and internal communication for family businesses 
• Dealing with press and media representatives

Module 6 | Innovation management in family businesses 

• Various models for innovation processes in family businesses 
• Necessary framework conditions for successful innovation projects 
• Resistance to innovation in the specific case of family business structures 
• Open innovation, lead user and crowd sourcing approaches 
• Maintaining innovative strength in generational succession

Module 7 | The sustainable growth of family businesses 

• Structural analyses of the M&A markets with a view to family businesses 
• Differentiation of the motives for mergers and their special features for family businesses 
• Elaboration of the relevant aspects with regard to the growth challenges of family businesses 
• Challenges and solution approaches for growth strategies in terms of sustainability

Module 8 | The family business and its environment 

• Discussion of all relevant interfaces of family businesses and their environment 
• Political environment of family businesses and opportunities for participation 
• Insights into processes in politics and administration with a focus on family business issues 
• Associations, networks & promotion of SMEs 
• Corporate social responsibility

Module 9 | The family business in global markets 

• Content-related preparation and raising awareness for the international learning expedition
• Discussion of country-specific facts from the target region 
• Preparation and topic identification for the Master's thesis

Module 10 + 11 | International Learning Expedition 

• Joint exploration of the special challenges and opportunities of family businesses in an international context 
• Challenges of globalization for family businesses 
• Integration and reflection of current research results on the reality experienced in the target country 
• Reflection of the contents of the previous modules with the realities of the target regions

Module 12 | Current issues for family businesses 

• Presentation of project work 
• Current issues for family businesses 
• Personal succession process and its reflection 

Module 12 is conducted by external subject specialists and lecturers from Zeppelin University.

to the extent of 10 ECTS credits 

• Active connection between the theory learned and your own personal practice 
• Individual choice of a project topic 
• Transfer experience and practical benefits for the family business 
• Continuous supervision by a professor from the degree program

to the extent of 30 ECTS credits

Final module

• Master's colloquium
• Master's thesis
• defense