Extending cross-gender succession theories: Mother–son succession in family business
Citation
Seaman, C., Ross, S. & Bent, R. (2018) Extending cross-gender succession theories: Mother–son succession in family business. In: Higgins, D., Jones, P. & McGowan, P. (eds.) Creating entrepreneurial space: Talking through multi-voices, reflections on emerging debates. Bingley, England: Emerald, pp. 79-90.
Abstract
The importance of succession in family business is well documented and there is general agreement that successful succession represents a key factor in the success or otherwise of individual businesses owned and run by families. The importance of gender in family business succession is a much more recent topic, where initial work has focussed very much on the increasing tendency for women to take on the family business as a successor. Far less research, however, considers the scenario where a female leader passes on the business, whether that takes the form of family succession, a new leader from out with the family or indeed business sale. This dearth of research is not entirely surprising: whilst female leaders in a family business context are not new, their numbers have been relatively small and often mediated through the lens of co-preneurship with a male partner. As women increasingly succeed to and found family businesses however, the gender dimension within family business succession develops and the research response forms the basis for this chapter.