Competitive Advantages of Family Firms

A Historical Management Perspective on a Spanish Chocolatier

Exploring the rise of a 19th-century Barcelona chocolatier, Jou-Badal traces the business strategies that turned a food manufacturer into a bourgeois industrialist, exemplified by the iconic Casa Amatller. Through an analysis of competitive advantages over generations, it offers a case study methodological approach for business historians.

At the turn of the 20th century, Barcelona’s industrialist bourgeoisie showcased their wealth commissioning family residences from renowned architects embracing the modernist style. Within these families, a chocolatier emerged, expressing opulence through the iconic Casa Amatller, now a symbol of the city. How did a manufacturer of staple foodstuffs ascend to prominence alongside the foremost industrial figures of the nation?

This research unravels a success story in family business history, while engaging with debates in busi