The Generational Succession in Family Firms

Author(s):  
Concetta Lucia Cristofaro ◽  
Anna Maria Melina ◽  
Rocco Reina

Knowledge transfer is essential to managing a family firm's succession. Given the importance of knowledge in family firms, this chapter identifies, through an empirical approach, which are the main organizational strategies used for sharing, disseminating, and using the knowledge available as fundamental elements for survival and the development of companies in the phase of generational succession. The authors investigate the phenomenon and verify the evidence in some private health organizations interested in the generational change located in South Italy, given the lack of previous case studies. This chapter deepens the phenomenon and its recognizability by examining with a qualitative analysis of the problems existing in those who are currently living or have experienced this particular moment of business life.

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (02) ◽  
pp. 127-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
SALMA FATTOUM ◽  
ALAIN FAYOLLE

The family character gathers firms whose weight in the economic activity of countries is considerable for developed countries as well as for the others. However, this type of firm is exposed to not only the threats that challenge all types of firms but they must also face dangers related to their family nature. Several American and European studies were interested in the succession issues associated with family businesses. However, this topic received very little theoretical and empirical investigation in developing countries. In Tunisia, the push in favor of private firms was given in the 60s. Nearly 50 years later, those entrepreneurs who had received state aid to start their businesses are about to retire. How is this dealt with? How is succession "guaranteed"? Hard as it may be to speculate on the outcome of this succession, can we at least describe its phases first and then consider the factors that could have an impact on it? These central questions to Tunisia's economy have yet to be answered academically. Our aim, in this paper, is to improve our understanding of the nature of the relation between the founder and his successor during the process of succession in the Tunisian family business while proposing reflections to be carried out to make a success of this generational change. Our paper is organized as follows. The first part will be an analysis of the literature on family firms and the succession process. In the second part, we will introduce the methodological aspects of our study, which was conducted on six Tunisian family firms at different stages of the succession process. In the third part, we will present and discuss the results.


Author(s):  
Isabella Hatak ◽  
Dietmar Roessl

A firm's knowledge is considered a key strategic asset in the course of generating competitive advantages. However, especially within family firm succession, there is a high risk that knowledge embedded if the predecessor leaves the organization. Thus, in order to maintain the family firm's competitive advantage an understanding of the challenges regarding the knowledge transfer within family firm succession is needed. In this chapter, the authors employ a qualitative empirical approach to identify context-based knowledge transfer strategies and develop a typology of transfer constellations. The results provide insight for students, researchers, consultants, policy makers and family firm leaders, who are searching for the most appropriate knowledge transfer strategy given the nature, philosophies and traditions of specific small and medium sized family firms.


Author(s):  
Hedvig Landenius Enegren

Textiles are perishables in the archaeological record unless specific environmental conditions are met. Fortunately, the textile tools used in their manufacture can provide a wealth of information and via experimental archaeology make visible to an extent what has been lost. The article presents and discusses the results obtained in a research project focused on textile tool technologies and identities in the context of settler and indigenous peoples, at select archaeological sites in South Italy and Sicily in the Archaic and Early Classical periods, with an emphasis on loom weights. Despite a common functional tool technology, the examined loom weights reveal an intriguing inter-site specificity, which, it is argued, is the result of hybrid expressions embedded in local traditions. Experimental archaeology testing is applied in the interpretation of the functional qualities of this common artefact.


2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-41
Author(s):  
Karen Di Franco

Since 2010, Book Works has been digitising material from its archive – whether finished works, ephemera, correspondence, photographs, or manuscripts – to give access to the working processes of the organisation (at www.bookworks.org.uk). The archive database is constructed around a chronological timeline and includes a search facility that allows visitors to filter and select material using a bespoke classification system. It currently comprises detailed content relating to two case studies from Book Works back catalogue: After the Freud Museum by Susan Hiller and Erasmus is late by Liam Gillick, as well as ephemera and material from other works. The project has been developed in collaboration with Ligatus Research Centre, University of the Arts London, with support from the AHRC Knowledge Transfer scheme.


Author(s):  
Ana M Moreno-Menéndez ◽  
Unai Arzubiaga ◽  
Vanessa Díaz-Moriana ◽  
José C Casillas

This article critically analyses entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in family firms after a major crisis, to investigate how firms with equal initial levels of EO reach different levels over time. Based on two alternative hypotheses (stability and convergence), we analysed whether the EO of family firms remains intact, strengthens, or weakens after a crisis. Based on an examination of a database of 151 family firms collected in 2004 and 2017, our findings reveal that compared to firms with higher pre-crisis EO levels, those with lower levels saw a larger increase post crisis. Furthermore, unlike the latter group, the former was able to maintain high pre-crisis levels even after the crisis. In addition, we also we found this relationship between pre-crisis and post-crisis EO levels to be influenced by two key periodic discontinuities, namely, organisational decline and generational change contingencies. These findings advance our understanding of temporal aspects of EO and heterogeneous entrepreneurial behaviour among family firms with significant implications for both theory and practice.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097215092110476
Author(s):  
John Lee Kean Yew

In light of the global economy, it is undeniable that small businesses such as family-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) affect economic performance globally. They offer a key basis of flexibility and innovation but also face some challenges along the way. Since family SMEs form a large portion in the Malaysian corporate sector, the economy of this country is highly dependent on family firms’ entrepreneurial capacity. During the past decade, although family SMEs innovation is analytically and empirically reviewed in terms of theory building, it still lacks a systematic adoption of thorough and theoretically-based frameworks to gain understanding on the evolution of knowledge transformation surrounding this topic. This study primarily focuses on the development of tacit knowledge through innovation during generational change with specific attention given to three family firms ranging from old, new and declining wealth enterprises. Besides, this article appraises the evolution of SMEs innovation when new generations attempt to transform the tacit knowledge in advancing the products innovation and quality branding in Malaysia.


Author(s):  
Ainurul Rosli ◽  
Peter Robinson

This chapter looks into the importance of having a clear identity of a boundary spanner in determining the role of the partners in a university-industry knowledge transfer programme. It highlights issues around the relationship between the business and the graduate as the boundary spanner, where the university's level of control differs between two programmes: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) and Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Network (KEEN) programme. The four case studies illustrate interesting points since the university is the employer for the KTPs associate and the business is the employer for the KEEN associate, whilst successful KTP and KEEN projects rely on a full understanding of the role of the graduate within the business.


Author(s):  
Anna Maria Melina ◽  
Concetta Lucia Cristofaro ◽  
Marzia Ventura ◽  
Rocco Reina

HRM in family firm (FF) research has moved from its narrow focus on selection and succession planning towards studying the broader antecedents, content and outcomes of HRM. Today, HRM is acknowledged as a crucial factor for attracting new talent, improving employee attitude and behavior, enhancing performance, and fostering the long-term competitive advantages. The aim of this study is to identify which tools and practices FFs adopt with HR during succession planning. For example, do they use the replacement table with the aim of providing the firm and its management with a map that allows them to make the most appropriate decisions to replace a person who is no longer available to fill a certain position? Or is it possible to identify other tools? Similar questions help the authors to investigate around the importance regarding people in firms during generational succession.


Author(s):  
Kevin R. Murphy

Performance management developed out of, and in part in reaction to, traditional performance appraisal systems. Despite frequent claims in the business press that performance appraisal is dying, fairly traditional appraisal systems are still common in work organizations. However, there is evidence of an ongoing shift toward performance management systems that differ from traditional performance appraisal systems in several important ways. The types of performance management systems exemplified in the case studies included in this volume place more emphasis on frequent, informal evaluation; real-time feedback; and alignment with organizational strategies and goals than is common in traditional appraisal systems. These types of performance management systems have a lot to offer, and the case studies illustrate the potential advantage of modern approaches to performance management. Unfortunately, these case studies also exemplify a deeply worrying trend in performance management: a frequent failure to even ask whether (much less to demonstrate that) performance management has any real effect on performance or effectiveness. Some recommendations are made regarding research strategies for evaluating performance management; several of the most pressing challenges in this endeavor are identified, notably the problematic status of feedback and the trade-offs involved when moving from formal appraisal systems to systems built around informal feedback.


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