Sharing ownership with outside investors through an IPO has advantages and disadvantages that create dilemmas for company founders. It can further be a source of disappointment when expectations fall short of reality. That's not the case for the Greek ship owners who floated the shares of their...

This paper unveils one of the secrets of success of the Greek shipping industry: informal networking of families of entrepreneurs with long strong ties imbued in mutual trust and immersed in 'love for the sea' tradition that allow Greek shipping firms to address the peculiarities and specificity...