IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v45y2015i1p15-37.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A sequential choice model of family business succession

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy Mathews
  • Tim Blumentritt

Abstract

Management succession is a critical process, especially in family-owned businesses. Current models of management succession focus on elements such as personal development of potential successors and decision-making processes by incumbents and governance bodies, but do not account for interactions among actors. This paper addresses this weakness using a game-theoretic approach applied to the setting of family businesses. We model a tournament-style game in which two siblings pursue the CEO position of a family business. In the course of our analysis, we consider a variety of factors, such as the predispositions of the founder to choose one sibling over the other, the value placed on winning the top job by each sibling, the cost for the siblings of pursuing the job, and the possibility of “first-mover advantages.” We close the paper by discussing implications of our work for both family businesses and corporations. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Mathews & Tim Blumentritt, 2015. "A sequential choice model of family business succession," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 15-37, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:45:y:2015:i:1:p:15-37
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-015-9628-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11187-015-9628-2
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-015-9628-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Naveen, Lalitha, 2006. "Organizational Complexity and Succession Planning," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 41(3), pages 661-683, September.
    2. Lazear, Edward P & Rosen, Sherwin, 1981. "Rank-Order Tournaments as Optimum Labor Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 89(5), pages 841-864, October.
    3. P.-J. Jost & M. Kräkel, 2005. "Preemptive behavior in sequential-move tournaments with heterogeneous agents," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 245-252, November.
    4. J. Robert Mitchell & Timothy A. Hart & Sorin Valcea & David M. Townsend, 2009. "Becoming the Boss: Discretion and Postsuccession Success in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(6), pages 1201-1218, November.
    5. Green, Jerry R & Stokey, Nancy L, 1983. "A Comparison of Tournaments and Contracts," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 91(3), pages 349-364, June.
    6. Dilip Mookherjee, 1984. "Optimal Incentive Schemes with Many Agents," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 433-446.
    7. Peter S. Davis & Paula D. Harveston, 1998. "The Influence of Family on the Family Business Succession Process: a Multi-Generational Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 22(3), pages 31-53, April.
    8. 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.
    9. Johan Eklund & Johanna Palmberg & Daniel Wiberg, 2013. "Inherited corporate control and returns on investment," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 419-431, August.
    10. Barry J. Nalebuff & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 1983. "Prices and Incentives: Towards a General Theory of Compensation and Competition," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(1), pages 21-43, Spring.
    11. Morgan, John, 2003. "Sequential Contests," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 116(1-2), pages 1-18, July.
    12. Guth, Werner & Schmittberger, Rolf & Schwarze, Bernd, 1982. "An experimental analysis of ultimatum bargaining," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 367-388, December.
    13. Rosen, Sherwin, 1986. "Prizes and Incentives in Elimination Tournaments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(4), pages 701-715, September.
    14. Oliver Gürtler, 2010. "Collusion in homogeneous and heterogeneous tournaments," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 100(3), pages 265-280, July.
    15. 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.
    16. Jack Hirshleifer, 1989. "Conflict and rent-seeking success functions: Ratio vs. difference models of relative success," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 101-112, November.
    17. Harbring, Christine & Irlenbusch, Bernd, 2003. "An experimental study on tournament design," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 10(4), pages 443-464, August.
    18. 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.
    19. Pramodita Sharma & P. Gregory Irving, 2005. "Four Bases of Family Business Successor Commitment: Antecedents and Consequences," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 29(1), pages 13-33, January.
    20. Patricia Pitcher & Samia Chreim & Veronika Kisfalvi, 2000. "CEO succession research: methodological bridges over troubled waters," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(6), pages 625-648, June.
    21. Wendy C. Handler, 1990. "Succession in Family Firms: A Mutual Role Adjustment between Entrepreneur and Next-generation Family Members," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 15(1), pages 37-52, October.
    22. Tim Barnett & Rebecca G. Long & Laura E. Marler, 2012. "Vision and Exchange in Intra–Family Succession: Effects on Procedural Justice Climate among Nonfamily Managers," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 36(6), pages 1207-1225, November.
    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. Parimal Merchant & Arya Kumar & Debasis Mallik, 2018. "Factors Influencing Family Business Continuity in Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 177-190, June.
    2. Ine Umans & Nadine Lybaert & Tensie Steijvers & Wim Voordeckers, 2020. "Succession planning in family firms: family governance practices, board of directors, and emotions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 189-207, January.
    3. Boris Rumanko & Zuzana Lušňáková & Monika Moravanská & Mária Šajbidorová, 2021. "Succession as a Risk Process in the Survival of a Family Business—Case of Slovakia," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-20, September.
    4. Eduardo L. Giménez & José Antonio Novo, 2020. "A Theory of Succession in Family Firms," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 96-120, March.
    5. 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).
    6. Jenny Kragl & Alberto Palermo & Guoqian Xi & Joern Block, 2023. "Hiring family or non-family managers when non-economic (sustainability) goals matter? A multitask agency model," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 675-700, August.
    7. Jayantilal, Shital & Jorge, Sílvia Ferreira & Palacios, Tomás M. Bañegil, 2016. "Effects of sibling competition on family firm succession: A game theory approach," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 260-268.
    8. Hair, Joseph F. & Astrachan, Claudia Binz & Moisescu, Ovidiu I. & Radomir, Lăcrămioara & Sarstedt, Marko & Vaithilingam, Santha & Ringle, Christian M., 2021. "Executing and interpreting applications of PLS-SEM: Updates for family business researchers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(3).

    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. 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.
    2. Dubey, Pradeep & Wu, Chien-wei, 2001. "Competitive prizes: when less scrutiny induces more effort," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 311-336, December.
    3. repec:eee:labchp:v:3:y:1999:i:pb:p:2373-2437 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Josse Delfgaauw & Robert Dur & Arjan Non & Willem Verbeke, 2015. "The Effects of Prize Spread and Noise in Elimination Tournaments: A Natural Field Experiment," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(3), pages 521-569.
    5. Alastair Smith & Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, 2019. "Motivating political support with group-based rewards," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 31(2), pages 156-182, April.
    6. J. Robert Mitchell & Timothy A. Hart & Sorin Valcea & David M. Townsend, 2009. "Becoming the Boss: Discretion and Postsuccession Success in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(6), pages 1201-1218, November.
    7. Suman Ghosh & Michael Waldman, 2010. "Standard promotion practices versus up‐or‐out contracts," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 41(2), pages 301-325, June.
    8. Agranov, Marina & Tergiman, Chloe, 2013. "Incentives and compensation schemes: An experimental study," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 238-247.
    9. Jan-Philipp Ahrens & Andrea Calabrò & Jolien Huybrechts & Michael Woywode, 2019. "The Enigma of the Family Successor–Firm Performance Relationship: A Methodological Reflection and Reconciliation Attempt," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(3), pages 437-474, May.
    10. William Chan & Priscilla Man, 2012. "Help and Factionalism in Politics and Organizations," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 79(1), pages 144-160, July.
    11. G. T. Lumpkin & Keith H. Brigham, 2011. "Long–Term Orientation and Intertemporal Choice in Family Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 35(6), pages 1149-1169, November.
    12. Timothy Mathews & Soiliou Namoro, 2008. "Participation incentives in rank order tournaments with endogenous entry," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 95(1), pages 1-23, October.
    13. 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.
    14. Jau Yang Liu, 2018. "An Integrative Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Successions in Family Businesses: The Case of Taiwan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-21, October.
    15. Waldman, Michael, 2013. "Classic promotion tournaments versus market-based tournaments," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 198-210.
    16. Hauck, Jana & Prügl, Reinhard, 2015. "Innovation activities during intra-family leadership succession in family firms: An empirical study from a socioemotional wealth perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(2), pages 104-118.
    17. Jed DeVaro & Antti Kauhanen, 2016. "An “Opposing Responses” Test of Classic versus Market-Based Promotion Tournaments," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 34(3), pages 747-779.
    18. Emmanuel Dechenaux & Dan Kovenock & Roman Sheremeta, 2015. "A survey of experimental research on contests, all-pay auctions and tournaments," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 18(4), pages 609-669, December.
    19. Ola Kvaløy & Trond E. Olsen, 2006. "Team Incentives in Relational Employment Contracts," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(1), pages 139-170, January.
    20. Zellweger, Thomas & Sieger, Philipp & Halter, Frank, 2011. "Should I stay or should I go? Career choice intentions of students with family business background," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 521-536, September.
    21. Ewerhart, Christian, 2016. "An envelope approach to tournament design," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 1-9.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Applied game theory; Family business; Management succession; M50; D20; C70; L26;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General
    • D20 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - General
    • C70 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - General
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:sbusec:v:45:y:2015:i:1:p:15-37. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.