family business (MBA)

1. Kay Zin Latt (D580072)
Assignment 2:
Ho Tak Kee Book Co.Ltd _ A Third Generation at A Crossroads (A)
1. What are the characteristics of John Ho, the Ho Family and Ho Tak Kee?
John Ho seems to be clever and have respect to his father. He does not want to lose the
family business, the Ho Tak Kee printing house as a family’s dignity. For the Ho Family, it
looks like unity and transparency has been gradually disappeared as they just focused on
their own stores to develop on their own ways and not much care about the printing house.
And the retired chairman still has the power to make decision on the business as all the
assets belong to him. Ho Tak Kee has been suffering deficits in its printing house operation
because of no copy right claims. If Ho Tak Kee shuts down the printing business, it will be
only a stationery retailer and this might hurt family’s pride as the printing house gave the
family reputation in publishing for decades.
2. What should the Ho family do for their family firm?
Ho family should save their family firm, the printing house as their dignity and try to gain
the success in a modern way. Ho family needs to pay attention to revitalize the printing
business with unity and passion on their family firm. The elder generation, i.e, the chairman
and the directors should empower to the youngsters for operating the printing house in their
own way and give the guidance and advice based on their own experiences. They should not
focus on their respective store for their own sake but pay attention to save the family firm
since the succession plan is not clear and all assets still belong to the Chairman.
3. Should John join the firm? if yes, how should he prepare? if not, what should he say to
his father?
John should join the firm as he has a will not to decline the family business. For John, he should
prepare the following steps to save the family business,
(i) Analyze the financial data of the whole family business to clearly understand the profit and
loss of each firm including the printing house and each book store,
(ii) Learn the current operating system of the printing house and the past experiences and
functions from his grandpa and the elder generations - his dad, uncles and aunty
(iii) Find a way to save the firm until being able to flip the deficit into surplus
(iv) Consider to cooperate with his elder brother who is a computer engineer to operate the
printing house in a modern way and to save unnecessary costs (i.e. to replace the old
machines which need a lot of work force with computers, something like that)
(v) Invite his cousin brother to cooperate with them by revealing his idea of ensuring the
company retained the Ho name
(vi) Offer some old employees to get retired and find the young blood who are interested in
publishing books
(vii) Prepare a business plan for the printing house and submit to his grandpa and the board of
directors with an idea of claiming copy right for publishing to defeat the cheating publishers
(viii) Try to gain the trust from the Chairman and board of directors by proving his capable of
operating the business

2. Kay Zin Latt (D580072)
To gain the trust,
(i) Operation
need to do things right first
make good decisions
show good leadership
(ii) Ownership
(iii) Family
Show the real love
Treat fair
Hide selfish