There are four distinct reasons why FMB is more advantageous for those from business families, as compared to regular MBA programmes.

• Scale : Typically, family businesses are small and medium size enterprises. The learning has to be tuned to this reality. In conventional MBA programmes, the inclination is more towards large Corporates and MNCs.


• Stakes : A MBA employee can take a decision for the company, and if it backfires, can simply resign and change to another lucrative job. On the other hand, a family member has to face the outcome of the decisions. A wrong decision means a loss and hard work to recover from the loss. Candidates from family businesses require a totally different attitude, formation and training.


• Scope : A student of MBA is groomed to work in large organizations and hence he/she tends to focus on a specific area of specialisation. A FMB participant manages his/her own organisation and has to learn to relate with specialists in all fields. He/she requires a General Management Perspective than a specialisation.


• Unique Issues : Family businesses have some issues unique to their nature. These include employing people of higher competency levels, professionalizing the organisation, managing participation from members of different generations, addressing the role of the women of the family in the business, planning succession, etc. The FMB participant requires training in appreciating and attending to these issues.

A conventional MBA student from a renowned Indian institute or a foreign university may not provide adequate response to these needs of wards from family businesses.

On the other hand, the FMB programme is designed primarily keeping these factors in mind thus equipping the participant with good capabilities in these issues.