On Tuesday, February 4, the Family Business’ Chair of the University of Valencia (CEF-UV), promoted by the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), the School of Entrepreneurs (EDEM), the Valencian Institute for the Study of Business Familiar (IVEFA) and the Family Business Institute (IEF), and is currently sponsored by BANKIA and BROSETA ABOGADOS, held a new breakfast under the title: “Values in business families: How they are associated with success and endurance of the company? ” which has been attended by around 100 entrepreneurs and managers of business families.
During the event, businessmen Vicente Ruiz (President of RNB) and Rosana Perán (Vice President of Grupo Pikolinos) have transmitted to the attendees how they have worked in their families to identify the values that best represent what they are as people and as family, and how those values connect with those of the people who work for their companies, as well as their management practices.
Alejandro Escribá, professor at University of Valencia and director of the Family Business’ Chair (CEFUV) introduced the breakfast, highlighting the importance of placing people at the centre of business management and reflecting the ethical values on which they build business projects.
Moderated by Manuel Guillén, director of the IECO UV Business Ethics’ Chair, the speakers have exposed the main values that they have identified among the owner family, as well as in the group of managers who hold positions of responsibility in their companies. In the case of Pikolinos, Rosana Perán has highlighted 5 values: Excellence, Naturalness, Teamwork, Creativity and Solidarity, as those that combine best and collect the soul of her family and her company. Vicente Ruiz, on the other hand, underlined that values of the family business are a reflection of values lived at home and inside the family, and that under this philosophy, his company relies on 4 pillars, 4 attitudes and 1 method of work, so that the “essence” of RNB permeates the working way and behaviour in all those who make up the company.
In both cases, the values are periodically reviewed with all the members in the company, either through reinforcement programs (as Pikolinos, which annually focuses on internal communication and motivation efforts on one of its values) and through Daily work, what in RNB is called "revolution of small things", trying to ensure that small actions are aligned with the main ethical pillars of their organization. Breakfast has aroused an interesting discussion between the speakers and the attendees of the event, and the benefit of a humanistic and ethical orientation in organizations, beyond the economic results of the companies, has been addressed in depth. In words of Manuel Guillén, just as people need to breathe to survive, companies need benefits, but breathing is not the ultimate goal pursued by people, and the mission of organizations goes far beyond benefits generation.
In short, this breakfast has allowed us to validate the importance of those values that sustain projects and commitment of business families, and how they can contribute to a society that provides more opportunities for human and professional development.
Family Business’ Chair of University of Valencia (CEF-UV) was created in 2006, promoted by the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), the School of Entrepreneurs (EDEM), the Valencian Institute for the Study of Business Familiar (IVEFA) and the Family Business Institute (IEF), and is currently sponsored by BANKIA and BROSETA ABOGADOS. Its activities focus on teaching, dissemination and research on idiosyncrasy and challenges for improving the competitiveness of family businesses.
You can check published news narrating the event (Spanish):
Valencia Plaza: RNB y Pikolinos: las "pequeñas cosas" y los valores como esencia de la ética empresarial
Levante-EMV: La empresa familiar valenciana destaca que el beneficio no es el único objetivo
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