YTL: The Role of Family Values in the Business

The case narrates the history of the YTL Group, a prominent diversified and international firm from Malaysia, run by the Yeoh family. The family is of Chinese descent with the founder, Yeoh Tiong Lay, a firm believer in Confucian ethics. The second-generation leader, Francis Yeoh, became a passionate Christian, while a member of the third generation, Ruth Yeoh, introduced environmental sustainability into the family business. Values are an essential foundation for most business families. But, in the case of YTL, one might ask: Whose values are these, and how do they manifest themselves throughout the family business history? This case helps students analyze the multifaceted and dynamic nature of family business values and the role of family leaders in articulating them in the context of a large, religiously inspired Malaysian family business.