Teaching Family Business with the use of art as a source of innovation.

Resumen

Management education and development practices that employ artistic methods and approaches are neither experimental nor a recent innovation (Gallos 2007). According to Gardner (1984, 1993, 1994), Jensen (2001) and Gallos (2007) using and learning through the arts has a long and proud global track record. Different works sustain that the use of artistic methods and the use of arts facilitates multi-level cognitive and socio-emotional growth (Fiske, 1999). Moreover, it also illustrates an evolution in pedagogical strategies, methods, and options for the field. As part of a Teaching Innovation Project recognised by the Faculty of Law, Economics and Tourism of the University of Lleida, the Chair of Family Business of this University (the responsible of the subject “Management of family business” in Business Administration degree), the use of different artistic disciplines for studying and analysing the family business phenomenon has been implemented. In this regards, opera, films and pictures provide another point for teaching and analysing key characteristics of family firms such as succession, rivalry between parents and sons, continuity, emotional aspects and cultural capital of family businesses.