This book transfers the newest service research concepts, such as value co-creation, to family forestry context. The book is aimed at as learning material for higher-education students in Western economies, and as a handbook for forest scientists worldwide. It has a strong theoretical base, but also a practical orientation with examples of novel forest services from different regions and contexts. The five parts of the book are: I Conceptualization of Service Approaches in Family Forestry; II Market and Policy Environment; III Public Service and Business Innovations; IV Communication, Cooperation, and Organizations for Services; and V Transitions Governance. Each part begins with a chapter that is more conceptual and thus sets the stage for the subsequent chapters, which then focus on a regional perspective or some more specific theme under the part’s coverage.

Margarete Rosina investigates whether it makes sense for family firms to communicate their family firm status to consumers. To do so, she conducts two experimental studies using a sample of 349 consumers. Using a branding perspective, the first study looks at whether consumers perceive family firm brands as more authentic and why and how this influences their buying behavior. The second study applies a consumer happiness perspective and investigates whether family firms signal prosocial behaviors related to “doing good”, namely being a good employer and socially responsible, and whether this, in turn, leads to higher levels of consumer happiness when buying from family firms. Both studies indicate that the family firm status can be of strategic value for family firms.

An analysis of the evolution of competitive strategies within the forestry industry is presented in this book. The argument is that the chosen context serves as an illustrative setting for a discussion related to global corporate evolution. Therefore, this analytical and rigorous book contributes to better understanding of the workings of a number of manufacturing industries through discussion of the evolutionary development within the pulp and paper industry.