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Parenting the Successor: It Starts at Home and Leaves an Enduring Impact on the Family Business

Author

Listed:
  • Kristen K. Shanine
  • Kristen Madison
  • James G. Combs
  • Kimberly A. Eddleston

Abstract

Transferring leadership across generations is a defining characteristic of family businesses. Yet many successors underperform, and little is known about why. We extend parental control theory to develop a model of parenting effects in family businesses. Primary dyadic data from successors and subordinates in 119 family businesses, supplemented with 24 interviews with family business leaders, shows that predecessors’ parenting style affects successors’ psychological functioning, which impacts employees’ citizenship and counterproductive behaviors. Among firms that make it to the second generation, the seeds of success are partially sown long before succession takes place, drawing attention to the important role of parenting.

Suggested Citation

  • Kristen K. Shanine & Kristen Madison & James G. Combs & Kimberly A. Eddleston, 2023. "Parenting the Successor: It Starts at Home and Leaves an Enduring Impact on the Family Business," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(4), pages 1093-1131, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:47:y:2023:i:4:p:1093-1131
    DOI: 10.1177/10422587221088772
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Schneck, Stefan, 2025. "Interference in children’s affairs: An exploratory study about the role of self-employed parents," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 24(C).
    2. Ludovica Del Barone & Maria Carmela Annosi & Evelyn Micelotta & Filomena Buonocore, 2026. "Post-Succession Innovation in Family Businesses: Exploring the Tension Between Incumbent Imprinting and Successor Self-Determination," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 50(2), pages 502-535, March.
    3. Schneck, Stefan, 2025. "The origins of entrepreneurship: How parental role models and socialization shape later entrepreneurial intentions," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1678, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Stefan Schneck, 2025. "The Origins of Entrepreneurship: How Parental Role Models and Socialization Shape Later Entrepreneurial Intentions," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1233, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    5. Amitabh Anand & Attila Wieszt & Éva Vajda, 2025. "Decoding the dark sides of family business: a synthesis, and future research agenda," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(11), pages 3563-3606, November.
    6. Antonius Tanan & Hadi Cahyadi & Jacob Donald Tan & Lee Kean Yew, 2023. "Family-led learning through parenting in family business," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.

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