Question #1

The underlying reason for the family conflict about control is a lack of preparation. The father of
all of these kids merely gave them shares in the company. After splitting it up 11 ways, he didn’t
seem to prepare people for the roles that they would play. As soon as each kid received a stake,
they were unaware of who was in control and the future/direction of the company. With over 10
children, more planning was necessary to ensure that everyone knew what their role was and
what part of the company was theirs.

Question #2
The family conflict greatly hurts the reputation of the firm because Uhaul now appears as a
company that condones murder. Additionally, it may scare employees and other workers and
make them feel unsafe in their workplace. There is also a lack of a clear vision and mission
because there are over 10 children and many of them can’t agree, resulting in each individual
pursuing their own vision for the company.

Question #3
The main agency problem present is agent-agent problems. All of the children who hold big
stakes in the company and hold top management positions are feuding over the direction and
control of the company. This agent-agent problem has escalated dramatically in this firm
resulting in murder.

Question #4
The father could have been more careful when giving out shares of the company and giving his
children control of the company. If he made each child prove themselves and prepared them for
their roles before distributing the shares, the company would be much better off. Additionally,
having them involved early on and making sure they understand the vision that he wants the
company to follow would ensure more organization and compliance from the family.

Question #5
This extreme case has some similarities with the family that founded Gucci. The Gucci family
went through financial scandals and infighting that led to negative publicity surrounding their
company. Similarly, in this case the murder of an innocent women in the company has led to
negative media involving lawsuits and family disputes.

Question #6
After the family disputes were settled in 2012 , Joe held firm control of the company and kept
the company alive by concerning himself with the mundane and detailed tasks of the company.
He avoids press and only focuses on improving the customer experience that his company
delivers. Under his guidance, in 2015 they had 135,000 trucks and 107,000 trailers on the road.
One notable thing that he does that is a testament to the success of his business, is visiting U-haul
dealers around the country every other week. This level of involvement is the reason he was able
to build his company and save it from a catastrophic demise.