Personality trait imprints across generations: small family business context

作者：Zeshan Ahmad, Shahbaz Sharif, Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Muhammad Nadeem · 发表于：Revista de Gestão · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1108/rege-08-2021-0155 · 被引用次数：12 · 研究领域：Family Business Performance and Succession、Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences、Human Resource and Talent Management

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how the congruence between predecessor and successor personality traits (PTs) with the values of their small family business (SFB) contributes to a successful succession transition across generations. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model method was employed in this investigation, which describes an entity and identifies issues that should be considered in a study (MacInnis, 2011). It involves a form of theorizing that seeks to create a nomological network around the focal concept, to examine and detail the causal linkages and mechanisms at play (Delbridge and Fiss, 2013). Findings Drawing on the trait activation theory (TAT), this study conceptualizes that the congruence of the successor's PTs with those of the predecessor, as well as the values, transitions and nature of the assigned task, activates the successor's PTs and motivates him to work diligently for a successful succession transition while preserving the business's core values established by the founder. Research limitations/implications This study is an eye-opener for strategists and SFB predecessors to ponder the successor's PTs disparities across generations. Additionally, it urges them to consider the congruence of SFB's values and nature of operations with the successor's PTs for successful succession transition. Thus, such awareness may contribute to stabilizing the SFB's survival rate. Originality/value This study contributed to the existing lit...