ABSTRACT
Ethnicity lies at the heart of culture, created through interactions among family members and their respective communities, and influences the way in which people view their world. A viable immigrant family governance process cannot survive in an atmosphere of ignorance and distrust. Key areas of family life will flourish in an open communication culture or process. A culture of open family communication, reinforced by structured processes, is an important precondition to creating a successful governance process. The more that personal needs and career interests/needs are aligned with opportunities offered by the immigrant family business, the better the chance will be that good governance and long-term sustainability will prevail in the context of the immigrant family business. Needs alignment in the immigrant family business context is the alignment of personal needs with career interest in relation to opportunities offered through and by the family business.
