IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v2y2014i4p335-358d41925.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Incumbent Decisions about Succession Transitions in Family Firms: A Conceptual Model

Author

Listed:
  • Britta Boyd

    (Department for Border Region Studies, University of Southern Denmark, Alsion 2, 6400 Sønderborg, Denmark)

  • Isabel C. Botero

    (Department of Management, Gatton College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506-0034, USA)

  • Tomasz A. Fediuk

    (Fediuk Botero LLC, Lexington, KY 40515, USA)

Abstract

In the family business literature, succession research has focused on the family member as they enter the leadership role or on the different issues that affect the succession process. Although researchers have acknowledged that succession in family businesses is “punctuated” by decision making events, less attention has been given to understanding how incumbents make decisions about ownership and management transitions. In an effort to continue to understand the succession process it is important to understand how incumbents make decisions about the type of transitions they intend to engage in ( i.e. , intra-family succession, out of family succession, or no succession). Building on the theory of planned behavior and the socioemotional wealth framework (SEW), this manuscript presents a conceptual framework to understand the factors that influence succession transitions and the role that contextual factors can play in this decision-making process. We present theory driven propositions and discuss the implications for understanding and evaluation of the succession process.

Suggested Citation

  • Britta Boyd & Isabel C. Botero & Tomasz A. Fediuk, 2014. "Incumbent Decisions about Succession Transitions in Family Firms: A Conceptual Model," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-24, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:2:y:2014:i:4:p:335-358:d:41925
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/2/4/335/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/2/4/335/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Carr, Jon C. & Sequeira, Jennifer M., 2007. "Prior family business exposure as intergenerational influence and entrepreneurial intent: A Theory of Planned Behavior approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 1090-1098, October.
    2. Carmelo Cennamo & Pascual Berrone & Cristina Cruz & Luis R. Gomez–Mejia, 2012. "Socioemotional Wealth and Proactive Stakeholder Engagement: Why Family–Controlled Firms Care More about their Stakeholders," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1153-1173, November.
    3. DeTienne, Dawn R., 2010. "Entrepreneurial exit as a critical component of the entrepreneurial process: Theoretical development," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 203-215, March.
    4. Miller, Danny & Steier, Lloyd & Le Breton-Miller, Isabelle, 2003. "Lost in time: intergenerational succession, change, and failure in family business," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 513-531, July.
    5. Kimberly A. Eddleston & Franz W. Kellermanns & Steven W. Floyd & Victoria L. Crittenden & William F. Crittenden, 2013. "Planning for Growth: Life Stage Differences in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(5), pages 1177-1202, September.
    6. Sue Birley, 2001. "Owner-Manager Attitudes to Family and Business Issues: A 16 Country Study," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(2), pages 63-76, December.
    7. Dawn R. DeTienne & Francesco Chirico, 2013. "Exit Strategies in Family Firms: How Socioemotional Wealth Drives the Threshold of Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(6), pages 1297-1318, November.
    8. Morris, Michael H. & Williams, Roy O. & Allen, Jeffrey A. & Avila, Ramon A., 1997. "Correlates of success in family business transitions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 12(5), pages 385-401, September.
    9. Jess H. Chua & James J. Chrisman & Pramodita Sharma, 1999. "Defining the Family Business by Behavior," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(4), pages 19-39, July.
    10. Lorraine Uhlaner & Marta Berent-Braun & Ronald Jeurissen & Gerrit Wit, 2012. "Beyond Size: Predicting Engagement in Environmental Management Practices of Dutch SMEs," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 109(4), pages 411-429, September.
    11. Neil C. Churchill & Kenneth J. Hatten, 1987. "Non-Market-Based Transfers of Wealth and Power: A Research Framework for Family Businesses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 12(2), pages 53-66, October.
    12. Dawn DeTienne & Melissa Cardon, 2012. "Impact of founder experience on exit intentions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 351-374, May.
    13. Pramodita Sharma & James J. Chrisman & Amy L. Pablo & Jess H. Chua, 2001. "Determinants of Initial Satisfaction with the Succession Process in Family Firms: A Conceptual Model," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 25(3), pages 17-36, April.
    14. Thomas M. Zellweger & Franz W. Kellermanns & James J. Chrisman & Jess H. Chua, 2012. "Family Control and Family Firm Valuation by Family CEOs: The Importance of Intentions for Transgenerational Control," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(3), pages 851-868, June.
    15. Sharma, Pramodita & Chrisman, James J. & Chua, Jess H., 2003. "Predictors of satisfaction with the succession process in family firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 667-687, September.
    16. Christian Koropp & Dietmar Grichnik & André Gygax, 2013. "Succession financing in family firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 315-334, August.
    17. Neil C. Churchill & Kenneth J. Hatten, 1987. "Non-Market-Based Transfers of Wealth and Power: A Research Framework for Family Businesses," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 11(3), pages 51-64, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Umans, Ine & Lybaert, Nadine & Steijvers, Tensie & Voordeckers, Wim, 2021. "The influence of transgenerational succession intentions on the succession planning process: The moderating role of high-quality relationships," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    2. Bell, Catherine, 2019. "People of Future Agriculture; Trust and Succession in Family Businesses," International Journal of Agricultural Management, Institute of Agricultural Management, vol. 8(3), August.
    3. Ben Akume & Osarumwense Iguisi, 2020. "Developing capabilities for sustainability in family owned SMEs: An emerging market scenario," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 9(6), pages 24-36, October.
    4. Kay, Rosemarie & Pahnke, André & Schlepphorst, Susanne, 2018. "The impact of firm performance on the business transfer mode," Working Papers 04/18, Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn.
    5. Esra Memili, 2015. "Performance and Behavior of Family Firms," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-8, September.
    6. Edobor, Edeoba W. & Wiatt, Renee D. & Marshall, Maria I., 2021. "Keeping the farm business in the family: the case of farm and non-farm family businesses in the midwestern United States," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 24(6), February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Marta Widz & Nadine Kammerlander, 2023. "Entrepreneurial exit intentions in emerging economies: a neoinstitutional perspective," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 615-638, February.
    2. Nathan L. Hammond & Allison W. Pearson & Daniel T. Holt, 2016. "The Quagmire of Legacy in Family Firms: Definition and Implications of Family and Family Firm Legacy Orientations," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(6), pages 1209-1231, November.
    3. Mussolino, Donata & Calabrò, Andrea, 2014. "Paternalistic leadership in family firms: Types and implications for intergenerational succession," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 197-210.
    4. Isabelle Le Breton–Miller & Danny Miller & Lloyd P. Steier, 2004. "Toward an Integrative Model of Effective FOB Succession," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 28(4), pages 305-328, July.
    5. Cater, John James & Kidwell, Roland E., 2014. "Function, governance, and trust in successor leadership groups in family firms," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(3), pages 217-228.
    6. Michel, Alexandra & Kammerlander, Nadine, 2015. "Trusted advisors in a family business's succession-planning process—An agency perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 45-57.
    7. Dehlen, Tobias & Zellweger, Thomas & Kammerlander, Nadine & Halter, Frank, 2014. "The role of information asymmetry in the choice of entrepreneurial exit routes," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 193-209.
    8. Florian Kreer & René Mauer & Steffen Strese & Malte Brettel, 2018. "On private equity exits of family firms in the German Mittelstand," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 503-529, May.
    9. Dawn R. DeTienne & Francesco Chirico, 2013. "Exit Strategies in Family Firms: How Socioemotional Wealth Drives the Threshold of Performance," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 37(6), pages 1297-1318, November.
    10. Umans, Ine & Lybaert, Nadine & Steijvers, Tensie & Voordeckers, Wim, 2021. "The influence of transgenerational succession intentions on the succession planning process: The moderating role of high-quality relationships," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    11. Cheng-Wen Lee & Shu Hui Chen, 2022. "Contradictions between Founders and Successors in Taiwan’s Family Business Inheritance: A Qualitative Study," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 12(5), pages 1-5.
    12. Mattias Nordqvist & Karl Wennberg & Massimo Bau’ & Karin Hellerstedt, 2013. "An entrepreneurial process perspective on succession in family firms," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1087-1122, May.
    13. Shujun Ding & Baozhi Qu & Zhenyu Wu, 2016. "Family Control, Socioemotional Wealth, and Governance Environment: The Case of Bribes," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 136(3), pages 639-654, July.
    14. Eugene Kaciak & Izabela Koladkiewicz & Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl & Marta Wojtyra, 2021. "The role of social networks in shaping entrepreneurial exit strategies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1619-1655, December.
    15. Shujun Ding & Zhenyu Wu, 2014. "Family Ownership and Corporate Misconduct in U.S. Small Firms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 123(2), pages 183-195, August.
    16. Eugene Kaciak & Izabela Koladkiewicz & Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl & Marta Wojtyra, 0. "The role of social networks in shaping entrepreneurial exit strategies," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-37.
    17. Thomas Zellweger & Melanie Richards & Philipp Sieger & Pankaj C. Patel, 2016. "How Much Am I Expected to Pay for My Parents’ Firm? An Institutional Logics Perspective on Family Discounts," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(5), pages 1041-1069, September.
    18. Simon C. Parker, 2016. "Family Firms and the “Willing Successor†Problem," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(6), pages 1241-1259, November.
    19. Kandade, Kiran & Samara, Georges & Parada, Maria José & Dawson, Alexandra, 2021. "From family successors to successful business leaders: A qualitative study of how high-quality relationships develop in family businesses," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(2).
    20. Veland Ramadani & Léo-Paul Dana & Nora Sadiku-Dushi & Vanessa Ratten & Dianne H. B. Welsh, 2017. "Decision-Making Challenges of Women Entrepreneurship in Family Business Succession Process," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 25(04), pages 411-439, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:2:y:2014:i:4:p:335-358:d:41925. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.