Family Business: A Case Study of Nyonya Meneer One of Indonesia's Most Successful Traditional Medicine Companies

The Chinese have a saying about family businesses: the first generation builds the company the second generation grows the company and the third generation destroys the company. There are many examples of this growth and decline in many countries especially in Indonesia where the business conglomerates - mostly owned by ethnic Chinese - are notoriously secretive; their companies trials and tribulations are known only to a very select group.However every once in a while one of the insiders opens the companys doors and allows the general public a chance to see what has really transpired over the generations. Even less frequently are these stories allowed to be published in a book. Family Business is one of those rare books. For the first time the inside story of one of Indonesias largest traditional medicine companies is available in the English language. From the tales of the founders struggles in raising a family and managing a company to the passing of command to its second and third generations Family Business is a real insiders account of how in business everything is personal.Filled with anecdotes and court cases advertising campaigns and newspaper clippings Family Business is an Indonesian success story and case study detailing what to do - and more importantly what not to do - in running a family business. It should be required reading for entrepreneurs all over the globe.ABOUT THE AUTHORSASIH SUMARDONO has worked as a journalist since 1986 - for the BBC Reuters The Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review. Most of that time has been spent in Asia covering uprisings in Thailand and Burma wars in Cambodia East Timor and Afghanistan.MARK HANUSZ is the author of the critically acclaimed Kretek: The Culture and Heritage of Indonesias Clove Cigarettes and co-author of A Cup of Java. He is also the founder of Equinox Publishing.