Roughly one-fifth of Fortune 500 companies are family-controlled. Outside the US, that number can rise up to 90 percent of all business activity and employment within a country. The vast majority of these family businesses are small- and medium-sized mom and pop shops. The rest are some of the largest and most influential institutions in the world—from iconic brands like Wal-Mart and Volkswagen to emerging global powerhouses like Samsung and Tata. Students survey the vast network of family enterprises that help to power the global economy. They also analyze cases that exemplify their greatest strengths and challenges.