This study aims to examine whether the family control affects the relationship between the effectiveness of board of directors and firm performance. This study depends on a panel data set drawn from 120 firms listed on the Amman stock exchange for the period from 2009 to 2013. The mechanisms of the effectiveness of the board of directors are considered as predictors of the firm performance that will measured by the return on assets (ROA) and Tobin's Q. The family control represents the moderating variable. To identify the moderating impact of the family control on the relationship between the effectiveness of the board of directors and performance, this study depends on a composite measure of the effectiveness of board of directors to capture the aggregate impact of board's effectiveness on firm performance. The findings of the hierarchical regression analysis find that the family control has a significant negative moderating impact on the relationship between the effectiveness of board of directors and firm performance measured by Tobin's Q. Conversely, the study found an insignificant positive relation with ROA. � 2018 Academy of Accounting and Financial Studies Journal.