美国的家族企业历史与美国历史一样长。照老一套看法“家族企业”是指餐馆、服装店街头杂货店,街区洗衣店之类的小商店。但仔细考察不难发现美国不少著名的公司也为家族所拥有。这些家族公司包括:在谷物交易中举足轻重的卡吉尔公司、发明牛仔裤的利瓦伊·斯特劳斯公司、埃斯蒂·劳德的化妆品与香水公司、建筑业巨头比奇特尔公司。 股票上市公司也多多少少受到家族力量的控制。虽然经过几代人后,家族企业股份已减少或分散了,然而在 The history of American family business is as long as American history. According to the old-fashioned view, “family business” refers to small shops such as restaurants, clothing stores, street stores, and street laundry. However, it is not difficult to find out that many well-known companies in the United States are also owned by the family. These family companies include: Cargill, a company that plays an important role in grain trading; Livay Strauss, a company that invented jeans; Cosmetics and perfumery company Esti Lauder; and Giant Bechtel, a construction giant. Stock-listed companies are also more or less under the control of family power. Although after a few generations, family business shares have been reduced or dispersed,