Francesco Barbera
Overview
Dr. Francesco Barbera is the Founding Academic Director of the Family Business Institute (opens in new window) and an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Francesco is an international, award-winning family business author and educator and regularly presents at renowned conferences and workshops. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Business Ethics, Family Business Review, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Long Range Planning, Small Business Economics and the Academy of Management Learning and Education journal. A former family entrepreneur himself, Francesco’s expertise in the family business field includes designing and delivering various family business curricula in Canada, Australia and the USA, as well as directing family business centres at the University of Adelaide, Stetson University and now Toronto Metropolitan University. He is a long-serving member on the Editorial Board of the Family Business Review, a Family Firm Institute Fellow and faculty member of its GEN program, a former Team Leader for the Successful Transgenerational Entrepreneurship Practices (STEP) project across three global regions, and a champion Head Coach at the annual Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition in Vermont.
Family Business, Entrepreneurship, Small Business Management
Michael-Tsabari, N., Strike, V. M., Carney, M., & Barbera, F. (2026). Mediated Reference Point Shifts: Breaking Free of the Family DNA (external link) . Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 10422587261415926.
Lafleur, C., Hasso, T., & Barbera, F. (2025). Whistleblowing in Family Firms: Power and Justice Dynamics (external link) . Journal of Business Ethics, 198(4), 771-786.
Barbera, F. (2024). Is Your Family Business an Opportunity? A Brief Introduction to Family Business. Chapter 3, in Entrepreneurship. By Bygrave, W, Zacharakis, A, Wise, S, & Corbett, A. John Wiley & Sons.
Saleem, A., Barbera, F., De Jong, S. B., & Hoffmann, A. O. (2024). The Role of Emotional Labor and Display Latitude in Preserving Socioemotional Wealth in Family Businesses (external link) . Journal of Family Business Strategy, 15(3), 100594.
Barbera, F., Hasso, T., & Schwarz, T. V. (2023). Family Governance and Firm Performance: Exploring the Intermediate Effects of Family Functioning and Competitive Advantage (external link) . Journal of Family Business Management, 13(4), 1085-1103.
Randolph, R., Alexander, B., Madison, K., & Barbera, F. (2022). When Family Business Meets Social Enterprise: An Integrative Review and Future Research Agenda (external link) . Family Business Review, 35(3), 219-245.
Graves, C., Shi, H. X., & Barbera, F. (2022). Family-centred non-economic goals and the internationalisation of family firms: Evidence from Australia (external link) . International Business Review, 101974.
Michael-Tsabari, N., Barbera, F., & Henssen, B. (2022). "Tough Love" Characterizing Paternalistic Leadership: The Case of Family Firms (external link) . In Love and Organization: Lessons of Love for Human Dignity, Leadership and Motivation, Michael Pirson, Ed., Routledge.
Browne, M., Graves, C., & Barbera, F. (2021). (excel file) Tahbilk: A fifth-generation Australian family wine businesses journey to sustainability (external link) . In Pioneering Family Firms’ Sustainable Development Strategies, Pramodita Sharma & Sanjay Sharma, Ed., Edward Elgar Publishing.
Barbera, F., Shi, H. X., Agarwal, A., & Edwards, M. (2020). The Family That Prays Together Stays Together: Toward a Process Model of Religious Value Transmission in Family Firms (external link, opens in new window) . Journal of Business Ethics, 163(4), 661-673.
Shi, H. X., Graves, C., & Barbera, F. (2019). Intergenerational succession and internationalisation strategy of family SMEs: Evidence from China (external link, opens in new window) . Long range planning, 52(4), 101838.
Barbera, F., Stamm, I., & DeWitt, R. L. (2018). The development of an entrepreneurial legacy: Exploring the role of anticipated futures in transgenerational entrepreneurship (external link, opens in new window) . Family Business Review, 31(3), 352-378.
Barbera, F., Bernhard, F., Nacht, J., & McCann, G. (2015). The relevance of a whole-person learning approach to family business education: Concepts, evidence, and implications (external link, opens in new window) . Academy of Management Learning & Education, 14(3), 322-346.
Barbera, F., & Hasso, T. (2013). Do we need to use an accountant? The sales growth and survival benefits to family SMEs (external link, opens in new window) . Family Business Review, 26(3), 271-292.
Barbera, F., & Moores, K. (2013). Firm ownership and productivity: A study of family and non-family SMEs (external link, opens in new window) . Small business economics, 40(4), 953-976.
| Year | Honour / Award |
|---|---|
| 2025 | The Schulze Award for Research Insights: FamilyBusiness.org |
| 2024 | Barbara Hollander Award: Family Firm Institute |
| 2024 | Family Enterprise Case Competition Coach: 3rd place (Undergraduate Division) |
| 2023 | The Vernon Zimmerman Best Paper Award: Asian-Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues |
| 2023 | Ted Rogers School Research Recognition Award |
| 2023 | Best Paper Award: Family Enterprise Research Conference |
| 2023 | Family Enterprise Case Competition Coach: 2nd place (Undergraduate Division) |
| 2022 | Best Paper Award: Asia-Pacific Family Business Symposium |
| 2021 | Family Firm Institute Fellowship |
| 2020 | Family Enterprise Case Competition Coach: 3rd place (Graduate Division) |
| 2019 | Best Article Award: Family Business Review |
| 2019 | Best Paper Award: The International Family Enterprise Research Academy |
| 2019 | Family Enterprise Case Competition Coach: 1st place (Graduate Division) |
| 2019 | University of Adelaide Teaching Award: For the Enhancement and Innovation of Student Learning |
| 2019 | University of Adelaide Business School Research Award: For Research Engagement |
| 2018 | University of Adelaide Business School Research Award: Best Research Team |
| 2015 | Outstanding Reviewer Award: Family Business Review |
| 2014 | Best Paper Award: Family Enterprise Research Conference |
| 2014 | Best Dissertation Award: Family Firm Institute |
- Family Firm Institute (FFI):
- Advanced Certificate of Family Business Advising (ACFBA)
- GEN Faculty
- FFI Fellow
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- Family Business Australia (FBA)
- Tamarind Learning: Education Council Member