daughter succession

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Article Title Page

Daughter Succession: A Predominance of Human Issues

Author Details

Margaret M.C. HumphreysFielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

Corresponding author: Margaret M.C. HumphreysCorresponding Authors Email:[email protected]

Acknowledgments (if applicable):An acknowledgement of gratitude is extended to the reviewers of this article: Your thoughtful and detailed commentscontributed greatly to the final version. Thank-you.

Biographical Details:Dr. Humphreys career focus is change in complex systems and leadership transition. Raised in an entrepreneurialfamily, her special interest is management and succession of the family enterprise. Margaret has worked extensivelywith business families and consulted to private and public organizations in most sectors. She has worked throughoutCanada, in the U.S.A., Europe, Latin America and Asia. Margarets PhD from Fielding Graduate University in SantaBarbara CA is in Human and Organizational Systems, specializing in Family Business Studies. She has taught andguest lectured in Canada and the US.

Structured Abstract:

Purpose:The research asked: How do daughters take the lead in their family businesses? What are the relevantissues that characterize the succession process for daughters, what are the attributes of daughter successors, andwhat, if any, features distinguish their leadership style?

Methodology: Qualitative research: reflective interviews with 14 daughter successors. Thematic data analysis(Roulston, 2010) was used to analyze data, build models and link to previous research.

Findings: The shifting landscape of womens roles in family businesses is evidenced through the experiences ofdaughters who have taken over the top leadership positions in their family firms. Skill and commitment override genderin successor selection. The women were intrinsically motivated to take over their family businesses and owned

significant shares in their firms. The findings confirm the centrality of the successorincumbent relationship and revealmentoring, frequently by the incumbent, as the principal vehicle for the transfer of business leadership. Emotionalcompetence emerged as a key successor quality.

Research Limitations: This research is based on a single perspective, that of the successor. The accounts mayinclude elements of performance, that is, selection of content based on the audience and the participants desiredresults.

Originality/Value:Provides an alternate view to female invisibility in the family business, and thepractice of primogeniture. New research on succession, womens roles in family business.

Key Words: Daughter successors; successor-incumbent relationship; successor qualities

Article Classification: Research paper


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Daughter Successions: A Predominance of Human Issues

The shifting landscape of womens roles in family businesses is evidenced through the

experiences of daughters who have taken over the top leadership positions in their family firms.

An increasing number of daughters are taking over their family firms (Alfano & Langowitz,

2002). The number has increased five-fold since 1997 according to the 2007 American Family

Business Survey. Family businesses appear to be incorporating women into leadership roles at a

rate 4 times higher than non-family firms (Barrett & Moores, 2009).

This papers focus on daughters as successors addresses the lack of research attention

given to a growing demographic. The role of women in family businesses is one of the least-

pursued research topics in the field of study (Sharma, 2004; Wang, 2010). The lack of research

on womens professional participation in the family firm is particularly noted (Dumas, Dupuis,

Richer, & St.-Cyr, 1995; Jimenez, 2009; Sharma, 2004; Sonfield & Lussier, 2005).

A mere five studies focusing exclusively on the experiences of daughter successors were

found for this literature, with none post 2005. In total, only 13 studies were found that gave

explicit and noteworthy attention to daughter succession. The studies were published between

1989 and 2007.

Considering the trend of daughter succession, the literature to date on women in family

businesses presents two problems. One is the tendency for studies to look at women as a group

rather than women in defined roles. The second is the propensity of researchers to document

barriers to womens participation in leadership rather than illuminating elements that contribute

to their success. Successors, regardless of gender, face many challenges (Barrett & Moores, 2009;

Cole, 1997; Dumas, 1989, 1992, Vera & Dean, 2005). A deeper understanding of daughter


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succession is needed given the changing times and the aspiration of the field of family business

studies to help family businesses and business families.

Succession is reported by family businesses as their number one concern (Casillas &

Acedo, 2007; Sharma, 2004; Zahra & Sharma, 2004). Most of what is known about succession

and successors arises from research conducted with men. Barrett and Moores (2009) state there

are potential broad gains to the field of family business studies from focusing exclusively on the

female experience of leadership and succession. Nicholson and Bjornberg of the London

Business School noted that,

Family businesses are creating diversity and a broader set of leadership skills by

including women leaders in the top management teams. The fact that family

businesses do this to a greater extent than nonfamily firms could be because they

have access to talented women through different networks and are not pressurised

by public shareholders to be conventional in terms of board selection. It may also

be a sign that the traditionally invisible influence of women in family firms has

always been there but is now beginning to take a modern shape: as officially

recognised positions of leadership. (Evens 2005, p. 11 in Barrett & Moores, 2009,p. 2)

This research addresses a gap in knowledge by examining an emerging role of daughters

in family businesses: that of the business leader. The research asked: How do daughters take the

lead in their family businesses? What are the relevant issues that characterize the succession

process for daughters, what are the attributes of daughter successors, and what, if any, features

distinguish their leadership style? In individual interviews 14 women told their succession

stories. Their accounts, as suggested in the title of this article, predominately revolved around the

human issues: relationships, motivations, family involvement, and the significant impact of

emotional content.

The qualitative design of this research brings the voices of daughters as family business

leaders to the forefront as they take this critical role. Inquiries that are deeply rooted in qualitative

methods have been called for in family business research, (Astrachan, 2003; Zahra & Sharma,


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2004). The design of this research was deliberately set to allow participants to reflect, and select

content relevant to themselves and their experiences.

When asked the question Please, tell me the story of how you came to take over your

family business? Isabelle quipped, First of all, I was born in the family business. Fiona began

her tale by saying Its been tough. Lane started with I began to work in the business when I

was in grade 8, and Kim began by saying I had no intention of going into the business. The

diversity of these statements, from 4 of the 14 daughter-successors who participated in the study,

foretold the diversity of their experiences. Beyond the multiplicity of the womens circumstances

striking similarities were found in their accounts.

This research provides an alternate view to female invisibility in the family business, and

the practice of primogeniture. It shows skill and commitment overriding gender in successor

selection. The women were intrinsically motivated to take over their family businesses and

owned significant shares in their firms. The findings confirm the centrality of the successor

incumbent relationship and reveal mentoring, frequently by the incumbent, as the principal

vehicle for the transfer of business leadership. Emotional competence emerged as a key successor

quality, apparent when dealing with family related matters, managing the incumbent relationship

and the ambiguities that come with family business succession.

Literature Review

This literature review includes studies on the role of women in family business, and

family business succession, as well as related leadership material from the broader business

context. Material on the study of emotions in the work place is introduced in the findings section

to frame related themes.


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Womens Participation in Family Business

Overall, the research on women in family business seems to divide into two streams: the

first, more populated stream, is the traditional participation of women; the next, less studied

arena, is the professional participation of women in family business.

Traditional Roles of Women in Family Business

The themes of the invisible woman, and the emotional caregiver dominate the literature

on womens traditional participation in the family business. Studies in the late 1980s and

throughout the 1990s found women involved in the daily operations of the family firm did not

receive recognition, in terms of a formal position, salary or status, equal to their contributions

(Cole, 1997; Hollander & Bukowitz, 1990; Salganicoff, 1990b). While the womens

contributions were found to be critical and substantial they were unsupported in the visible

hierarchies of business and family(Galiano & Vinturella, 1995; Lyman, 1988; Nelton, 1998;

Rowe & Hong, 2000), hence the construct of invisibility. Iannanellis (1992) finding that

consultants, families, and the women themselves often contribute to female invisibility by

underestimating womens contributions, illustrates in part, how the phenomena of invisibility is

socially constructed.

The second traditional role, that of the emotional care giver, is captured in the terms chief

trust officer(Poza & Messer, 2001), emotional leadership and chief emotional officer(Lyman,

1988; Salganicoff, 1990b; Ward, 1987). A composite description of this invisible role includes a

combination of conflict mediation, family values perpetuation (Dugan, et al., 2008), and general

communication, support, and confident services (Lyman, Salganicoff, & Hollander, 1985). The

role of the emotional peace keeper is seen as crucial during succession and could be more

difficult to replace than that of the chief executive officer (Jimenez, 2009).


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Professional Participation of Women in Family Business

As previously noted, the number of studies found that comment on parentdaughter

succession is smallonly 13. The research is definitive that women normally took roles of

assistants, informal advisors, or mediators between family members who run the business (Gillis-

Donovan & Moynihan-Bradt, 1990). A modest five studies were found that focus solely on

succession experiences of daughters: Dumas (1989, 1990, 1992), using 1988 U.S. based data,

Curimbaba (2002) with data gathered in South Western Brazil, and Vera and Dean (2005) with

U.S. daughter successors.

The considerable obstacles daughters face to gain organizational power dominate the

findings (Barnes & Kaftan, 1990; Dumas, 1989, 1990, 1992; Nelton, 1998; Vera & Dean, 2005)

These include opposition from family members and senior men in the organization (Dumas,

1992; Rosenblatt, de Mik, Anderson, & Johnson, 1985; Salganicoff, 1990b); the perceived

juxtaposition of daddys little girl (Dumas, 1989, p.37) and company CEO and that the novelty

of a daughter in senior management challenged cultural norms, familial expectations beyond the

learned coping strategies of all involved (Barnes, 1988; Lyman, et al., 1985; Rowe & Hong,

2000).

To a lesser extent, the authors offer strategies to mitigate the challenges. Dumas (1989,

1990) generated advice to daughters and their families related to integrating daughters into the

family business. Themes included being aware of the daughters visibility as potential successor,

finding appropriate modalities of conflict resolution, acknowledging developmental needs,

working out triangulation processes, modifying traditional views of human motivation, and the

need for empowerment. Dumas (1998) and Iannarelli (1992) highlighted the importance of

positive childhood experiences with the business, the womans self-perception, and development

and assessment of her leadership abilities.


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Vera and Dean (2005) show that daughters join the family business to help out, and must

make considerable effort to prove their capability and competence to family and nonfamily

members, workers, and managers. Vera and Dean (2005) updated Dumas (1989, 1990, 1992) in

that they found no role conflict between fathers and daughters, no mother jealousy of daughter

working closely with the father and no sibling rivalry when is came to managing the company.

Both Vera and Dean (2005) and Dumas (1989, 1992) found that women do not aspire to

ownership, rather they come to family business to help the family, especially in a crisis or

because other options are less attractive.

The evidence of women having satisfying careers in family businesses is existent, though

overshadowed by the focus on barriers. However, Cole (1997), Galiano and Vinturella (1995),

Jaffe (1990), and Lyman (1988) all interviewed woman who reported having satisfying careers

in their family businesses and not being held back by gender.

Succession Related Literature

In family business literature succession is considered a long-term process (Barnes &

Hershon, 1989; Cabrera-Surez, 2005; Chrisman, Chua, Sharma, & Yoder, 2009; Handler, 1990)

that refers to the actions and events that lead to the transition of leadership from one family

member to another in family firms (Sharma, Chrisman, Paplo, & Chua, 2001, p. 21). This

section considers literature on successor selection, preparation, and attributes as well as the

successor incumbent relationship.

Successor Selection

Regarding successor candidacy, the recorded history of family firms shows a strong

preference for first-born sons (Hollander & Bukowitz, 1990; Keating & Little, 1997; Salganicoff,

1990a, 1990b; Wang, 2010). Women were rarely considered serious candidates for leadership in


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the family business, except during a crisis or when the founder had no son (Curimbaba, 2002;

Dumas, 1992, 1998; Hollander & Bukowitz, 1990).

There is also evidence that primogeniture may be on the decline (Ayres, 1990; Drozdow,

1989; Kaye, 1992), with successor selection being driven by more objective selection criteria

such as education, technological and managerial skills (Brockhaus, 2004; Chrisman, Chua, &

Sharma, 1998; Salganicoff, 1990b; Vera & Dean, 2005).

Successor Preparation

In the context of the family business, preparation of the successor is seen as sometimes

beginning in childhood through socialization and a positive introduction to the family business

(Grote, 2003; Iannarelli, 1992). Similarly leadership scholars have found evidence that early

childhood experiences are predictors of adult leadership behaviors (Schneider, Paul, White, &

Holcombe, 1999). Towler (2005) found emergent adults, ages 18 to 25, who have secure

relationships (appropriate attachment) with their parents are more likely to display charismatic

leadership qualities while those with psychologically controlling fathers were less likely to be

seen as charismatic leaders.

Gaining experience outside the family business has been recommended as valuable to

successor development (Brockhaus, 2004; Nelton, 1998) as it helps develop confidence, a sense

of identity and creditability (Barnes & Hershon, 1989; Correll, 1989; Vera & Dean, 2005).

Management indicate that mentoring, usually formal, is a widespread and overall positive

component of a successful career, especially for high achieving women, and an effective vehicle

for leadership development (Monserrat, et al., 2009; Tolar, 2012)Boyd, Upton, and Wircenski

(1999), in a study of mentoring in family firms found those who were mentored believed it was

vital to their success (Boyd et al., 1999). Grote (2003) and Lansberg (1999) proposed mentoring

as a family business succession strategy.


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Successor Attributes

Qualities of an effective successor include the capacity to lead, managerial skills, and

competence, and willingness, and commitment to take over the role of business leader (Ibrahim,

Soufani, Poutziouris, & Lam, 2004). Additionally, integrity and commitment (Chrisman, et al.,

1998; Sharma & Rao, 2000), having the trust of family members business (Goldberg &

Wooldridge, 1993; Gomez-Mejia, Nunez-Nickel, & Gutierrez, 2001; Lansberg & Astrachan,

1994) and the capacity to develop relationships within the company, understand the culture and

intricacies of the business (Lansberg & Astrachan, 1994) are considered important.

IncumbentSuccessor Relationship

The incumbentsuccessor relationship is at the heart of all inter-generational successions

(Chrisman, et al., 1998; Dumas, 1990; Lansberg, 1988; Venter, Boshoff, & Maas, 2005). The

quality of that relationship is a critical determinant of the succession (Brockhaus, 2004). A

quality relationship between founder and successor is characterized by a high level of trust,

mutual support, open communications, a willingness to acknowledge each others achievements,

feedback, and mutual learning (Venter, et al., 2005). A smooth succession requires cooperation

between the two (Handler, 1992; Hollander & Elman, 1988).

Methods

This research asked: How do daughters take the lead in their family businesses? What are

the relevant issues that characterize the succession process for daughters, what are the attributes

of daughter successors, and what, if any, features distinguish their leadership style?

Reflective, semi-structured interviews (Roulston, 2010) allowed participants to share, in

their own words, their perceptions and understandings of their experiences that led to their

current positions of leadership in their family businesses. The first interview question asked


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participants to tell the story of their succession. Participants were encouraged to say as much as

they wanted before probing questions were asked (see Appendix A).

Participants, daughters who had assumed the leadership of their family business within

the previous 10 years were recruited through a convenient professional network and family

business associations. This resulted in 12 participants from Canada and 2 from Scotland. One-on-

one interviews lasting 45 and 90 minutes were conducted between February 2010 and February

2011. Personal and business background information was collected (see Appendix B), and post

interview contact included follow-up regarding participant after thoughts, and verification of

transcripts, case time lines and individual vignettes.

By design, all participants in this study were female, by happenstance all took over from

incumbent fathers. Assumptions about gender underlying the treatment of data this study are

located within three concepts. The first is of social feminism, which espouses the value of

exploring the female experience in its own right, without seeking comparison with an assumed

norm (Barrett & Moores, 2009). The second is postmodern feminism that cautions against

polarizing behavior as gender specific (Cole, 1997)hence, the findings are not automatically

assumed to be gender specific. The third is gender-organization-system theory (Fagenson, 1990)

that encourages looking at the many contextual levels that can potentially impact experience and

behavior.

Data Analysis

The qualitative paradigm of research as fundamentally interpretative (Creswell, 2003).

Qualitative analysis typically involves both inductive and deductive reasoning, given that

researchers generate findings through close examination of data and consider multiple theoretical

explanations in search of the most plausible explanation (Roulston 2010, p.150) for


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phenomenon that occur in the data. Analytical methods employed in this study allow for both

theory generation and theory linking.

The primary direction for treatment of the data is thematic analysis, as conceptualized by

Roulston (2010).This creative process required multiple reexaminations of the data to develop

ideas into assertions that were supported by the data. The data analysis was driven by the content

of the transcripts and took into account all related utterances. The experiences of study

participants were analyzed individually and collectively. The detailed steps of the data analysis

are outlined in Table 1, Data Analysis.

Insert Table 1

For the purposes of this study, the definition of family business that determined inclusion

was modeled on Rosenblatt et al. (1985) and Venter et al. (2005): A family business is one

owned by members of the same family to shape and/or pursue the formal or implicit vision of the

business, with decisions about future direction of the business influenced by the family, family

members being employed and actively participating in the management or governance of the

business, and the business leadership position has passed, or is in the process of passing from one

generation to the next.

Findings

While details and time frames varied greatly from one participant to the next, there were

striking thematic similarities among the participants and their experiences. The key themes of

successor participation in the business, incumbent successor relationship, and successor attributes

are discussed in this paper.

Participation in the Family Business


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A composite story of the successors participation in the business is depicted in Figure 1,

Evolution of Successor Participation.

Figure 1. Evolution of Successor Participation

The evolution of the daughters participation in the family business could be traced from

early life developmental experiences. All of the participants whose families were in businesses

during the womens at-home years, recalled positive memories of the family business and placed

the existence of the business as a central aspect of family life. Many recounted fond memories of

time with father in the business. Catherine, My father used to have [an advisory board] and

brought us in, all the kids once in a while, just to listen in when we were younger. Two of the

daughters were groomed from childhood to take over the family business. Isabelle was one of

them: As a little girl [my father and I] spent quality time together in the business. He would

often bring me to work. [Our product] became part of my world.

Despite the centrality of the business to family life, and the easy access to summer work,

most of the participants, said they had not considered the family business as a career or life path.


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Nor were they encouraged towards the business. This reflects previous research findings

(Hollander & Bukowitz, 1990; Wang, 2010). Sals experience was typical: Business wasnt

really something that I had even considered [after university] and there certainly werent any

discussions with my family in terms of, we need you or want you to come back. It was all left to

me and my pursuits and whatever I was interested in they would support.

All of the successors completed undergraduate degrees immediately after high school.

Most left the confines of the family to work and settle elsewhere. Many of the women travelled

abroad after university: Lane: I backpacked around Asia alone. I dont know how my mother

took it. Five of the women settled in other regions or countries.

Thematically, circumstances surrounding the daughters entry into the business often

revolved around incumbent circumstances, business needs, and daughter availability. Most

participants indicated they joined the family business on a trial or temporary basis. Also

reflecting previous research findings (Dumas, 1989; Iannarelli, 1992; Salganicoff, 1990b)

The details varied greatly from one situation to the next. Clare, for example said, I joined

to help out part time. I ended up helping a lot with other areas. Sal had returned to her

hometown after the dissolution of her marriage. Her father offered her a job in the family

business. Katie indicated, the summer after university I said Id help my dad out I never

intended to stay. Mos desire for a career change coincided with her fathers illness and his need

to leave the business.

The impetus to join the business sometimes came from the daughter, other times it was

incumbent initiated. Before joining the business many of the women had conversations with their

incumbent fathers about having a trial period to determine fit and then, potentially, staying on or

taking over the business.


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The period of time named determination of fit varied widely from one participant to the

next. However, during this period the women discovered they had affinity for the business: they

liked the work, and the people. All of the participants were passionate about their businesses.

Catherine commented, I love our company. I love what we do. Sal stated: I found I liked it

and stayed. Fionas declaration I love this business I cant see myself doing anything else.

reflected the sentiments of many. The alignment between individual and organization was

consistent in the successor accounts.

The time frame from entering the family business to the point of commitment and the

commencement of most successions varied. The point of commitment was explicit, setting a

succession process into motion. Again sometimes the successions were incumbent initiated, as

with Clare: Basically he liked what I was doing and said, Would you be interested in taking

over the company? Other times the successors pushed the issue or took circumstances into their

own hands. This was the case with Kim: I was lobbying hard [for changes], and with Fiona: I

knew I had to step up and take charge.

The SuccessorIncumbent Relationship

Many of the interviews revolved around the incumbentsuccessor relationship. Most, not

all, of the relationships were described as close. All the women reported holding their incumbent

fathers in high regard expressing admiration for his abilities, accomplishments, and values.

Incumbents were perceived as dedicated to the business and having superior business acumen.

For example Katie: I was so impressed with Dad and really respect him as a businessman. Hes

so ethical.

Roles were clearly defined while working together. For example Rita: He was always in

charge of the finances. My baby was the day-to-day running of the business. And Katie: We


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always conversed about each project we were working on. We figured out quite quicklyyou

look after that end and Ill take this end.

Over the course of the succession, daughters and fathers often encountered challenges,

disagreements and conflict. The successors depicted a preference for open, honest

communications. Other notable characteristics of the successorincumbent relationship were

shared values towards the business and family, and accommodation for differences in

management style. Clare: To carry on in his footsteps was important, but also to have him

realize that I have a totally different style, but have the same goals. Ingrid: I think generally we

share the same values but we go about business very differently.

A high degree of satisfaction from working in the business, high regard for the health of

the business and the desire to pass a healthy business entity to leadership within the family were

often perceived by the successors as common ground between themselves and their incumbent

fathers. Isabelle observed that: Were on the same page because ultimately our goal is to make

the company better.

Figure 2, SuccessorIncumbent Relationship conceptualizes the successor incumbent

relationship as having three components: the successor who had a passion for the business and

relevant skills and abilities, the incumbent who wanted the business to stay in the family hands,

and was often still reluctant to let go, and the intangible ingredient of shared values regarding

commitment to the business and the family.

Together, these components result in a solid working relationship between successor and

incumbent. Clear roles, trust, mutual respect and accommodation for each others styles and life

stage were characteristic of the relationship.


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Figure 2. SuccessorIncumbent Relationship

Most participants referred directly to their incumbent fathers as mentor or role model

and their greatest support. However, the tenor of the relationships was spirited and not always

smooth, most had their rough spots and a few were down right difficult. Mo and Fiona described

the extremes of harmony and turbulence in the successorincumbent relationship. Mos

relationship with her father was close throughout her life and succession: I am very, very, very,

close to my father. I considered [succeeding him] an opportunity to learn from the best. Fiona,

while she respected her father, had a turbulent relationship with him: theres been a fair

amount of butting heads.

Annes description of the scope of the relationship reflects the experience of many

participants:


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He was a great mentor. I was able to talk to him more on a personal level There was a

lot more [to our conversations] than what we did in revenues last week. There was that

too, but it was a little bit more it was a different relationship.

The tenor of the successor-incumbent relationship often mirrored the participants felt

experience of the succession. This was especially true for participants who described extremes of

harmony or discord. For example, Katie who described her relationship with father-incumbent as

were in the same head space experienced the succession as It just sort of happened and it was

easy, gradual. At the extreme of difficult successions, Lane, who described her father as either

unwilling or unable to enunciate,described her succession as a bit of mental torture. The

majority of successorincumbent relationships, and the successions, were characterized as

challenging or demanding as the pair transferred the leadership of the business. Drews example

is typical of the midrange discord between successor and incumbent:

We used to clash a bit. . His management skills are very different than mine and I

would challenge him about the way to manage people. We had our differences for a

number of years working together. Once he actually retired, he and I get along absolutely

brilliantly. I can approach him if Ive got a problem. Any real conflict I had with my Dad

was in the early days

Successor Attributes.

The findings indicate the womens journey to leadership relied on having the right skills

and the education to manage and lead their family firms. Isabelles experience was typical: My

father chose me for CEO because I bring more skills and I am better educated. Kim was chosen

over her older brothers based on her abilities, the [advisor] said, I think Kim should be your

successor, she has the skill set.


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A pattern of self-awareness and insightful and delicate handling of the human side of

events was remarkable throughout the data. Efforts to understand and frame this finding led to

literature on emotions and caring in organizational settings and the assertion of emotional

intelligence (EI) as a successor attribute. The section below begins with a brief review of related

literature and concludes with presentation of the data supporting the emergence of emotional

competence in the data.

Research on emotion in organizational behavior has developed into a major field over the

past 15 years (Ashkanasy & Humphrey, 2011). Among other elements the research field includes

the discourse on forms of care as a managerial strategy and emotional intelligence in leadership,

an area where considerable research has been done in the last decade (Ashkanasy & Humphrey,

2011).

Mayer and Salovey (1997) defined emotional intelligence (EI) in terms of four basic

abilities: (a) ability to perceive emotions in self and others; (b) ability to assimilate the

information in cognitive functioning; (c) ability to understand the role of emotions; and (d) ability

to use and to manage emotions in decision-making. Goleman (1998) identified on-the-job

behaviors of emotional competence, which he defined as a learned capability based on

emotional intelligence (p. 24). Emotional intelligence has five elements of emotional

competence: three personal- self-awareness, self-regulation and motivation and two social,

empathy and social skills or adeptness in relationships (Goleman 1998).

Fambrough and Kaye (2008) provide a robust critique of EI as a strategy for leadership

development by examining differences in approaches to measuring EI and assessing its

connection to and usefulness for leadership effectiveness and job performance. The authors

advise caution in the use of EI for leadership development. However, they conclude that leaders

who have a discriminating understanding of their own emotions and the ability to express


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emotions in nonthreatening ways, have an advantage. Thought specific measures of EI vary, EI is

considered a scientifically legitimate intelligence best studied with ability measures of

perceiving, assimilating, understanding and managing emotions (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey,

2000).

The reference to emotional content in the successor accounts is outstanding. While the

successors acknowledged operational issues, most of the interviews revolved around

interpersonal relationship issues and the feeling aspects of personal adjustments. Attention to the

technicalities of the job was secondary and often scant. Technical competence was a given, the

spotlight was on handling human dynamics. It has been found that emotionally intelligent leaders

pay greater attention to the interpersonal aspects of organizational life as opposed to the technical

(Condren, Martin, & Hutchinson, 2006). Further, measures of emotional intelligence correlate

with self-reported empathy, which involves a view of one-self as emotionally responsive and

concerned about the feelings of others (Mayer et al, 2000 p. 293).

EI provides a best-fit interpretation given the successor accounts. Selected examples of

emotional competence evidenced in this study are presented in Table 2. For illustrative purposed

the examples are categorized using Golemans (1998) interpretation of emotional competencies,

however, individual examples often apply to more than one category.

Insert Table 2

Conclusions

This research updates, challenges, and deepens some of the conventional thinking around

daughters participation in family businesses. If the research field is to remain close to its

intention of helping family businesses, making advances visible and providing alternate

interpretations of surface behaviors is critical. At the macro level this research points to a shifting


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landscape in womens roles in family businesses. The vibrant daughter successor is a stark

contrast to the attribution of female invisibility in the family business.

This study contributes to the discourse on the visibility of daughters as successors by

raising several points. Many of the participants had explicit discussions and intentions regarding

the possibility of succession prior to entering the company on a full time basis. This finding

indicates the recognition of the leadership potential of daughtersby both the incumbent and the

daughter herselfcountering the well-established theme of the invisible heir. In cases where sons

worked in the business, either alongside of or prior to the daughters arrival, it appeared that the

presence of the son had not stimulated succession discussions or activities. The questions arise:

was the son any more visible as a successor? What role does across-the-board reluctance of the

incumbent to let go play in the phenomena of daughter invisibility?

The findings indicate the womens journey to leadership relied on having the right skills

and education to manage and lead their family firms. Many had brothers who had worked or were

currently working in the business. Invisibility is a potent construct. The broad issue of female

visibility in business environments is complex and multilayered. The findings in this research

suggest the need to keep examining the issue from multiple perspectives, including social and

cultural trends. This study is a reminder that the construct of invisibility is not stable and self-

existing; rather it is co-constructed at a moment in time.

At the micro level, the findings update and extend existing research literature about

women in family business in the areas of ownership, motivation, and use of power. This study

updates the notion that women do not participate in ownership (Dumas, 1989, 1992; Vera &

Dean, 2005) of the family business, with the finding that all but one participant owned all or

significant shares of the businesses.


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The womens motivation for participation in the firm changed after joining the business:

from helping out (Jimenez, 2009) to being intrinsically inspired to lead the business. This

evolution in motivation acknowledges the progression from keeper of the kings gold (Dumas,

1989) to spinner of ones own gold, and the development of the CEO within the daughter.

This study contributes to understanding women and power by examining situations in

which women exercise their power. The women tended to work collaboratively, with

transparency and a sense of fairness. Under these circumstances, they appeared to have no

difficulty in exercising their power, whether or not it was supported with an official position.

Many previous findings about succession and successor qualities, from research with

mostly male successors, are confirmed in this study (see Table 2). This shows the demands and

requirements for successfully passing the leadership of the family firm from one generation to the

next are perceived and responded to in a similar manner by both sexes. As reflected by the

gender-neutral succession language commonly used in the field, it appears that regardless of the

successors gender, the basic lay-of-the-land of the succession process is the same.

Insert T2

Previous findings of trustworthiness and integrity as successor qualities (Chrisman, et al.,

1998; Sharma & Rao, 2000), and collaboration between incumbent and successor as critical

during succession (Chrisman, et al., 1998; Dumas, 1990; Lansberg, 1988; Venter, et al., 2005)

arguably fall within the theoretical lens of emotional intelligence. However, in this study

accounts relating to emotional content were outstanding, leading to the assertion of emotional

intelligence as a successor quality. This could suggest the traditionally identified roles of women

in family business; those of emotional caregiver, peacekeeper, and purveyor of family values are

combined with concern for the business, as the daughters ascend to leadership. It could also

suggest a gender difference favoring a womans ability to recognize, articulate, and handle


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emotions. Mayer (2000) found women are somewhat better at emotional intelligence than men

and Rosenthal et al, (1979) found women are slightly better at perceiving emotion through tests

of nonverbal perception.

This studys finding of the fathers mentoring support of their successor daughters

inadvertently contributes to literature that examines the modification of traditional gender roles

and the role men play among women who seek to change their status. The finding adds evidence

to the role of the patriarch as ally in feminist pursuits (Weiner-Levy, 2011) and contributes to the

discourse on the mechanisms of social change.

Limitations and Indications for Further Research

This research is based on a single perspective, that of the successor. The accounts may

include elements of performance, that is, selection of content based on the audience and the

participants desired results. Further, this research indicates the need for more research attention

to daughter successors as a group. The high number of mentoring relationships between daughter

successors and their incumbent fathers warrants future research attention to mentoring as a

succession strategy. The close and positive father daughter relationship suggests attachment

theory could be examined in the context of successor development. This research indicates the

management of emotions in organizational life as an area ripe for investigation in family

businesses. Finally, further investigation into emotional intelligence as a successor quality is

required.


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APPENDIX A


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The interview questions:

a. Please tell me the story of how you came to take over the leadership of yourfamily business.

Related probes:

i. What aspects of your leadership transition were most critical?ii. What aspects of the succession do you think are unique to your situation,

for example influenced by your family heritage, family values or type of

business?

iii. What was the most difficult part of the succession for you?iv. What/who helped or supported you?

b. Can you identify a beginning and end to the leadership succession?Related probes:

i. Were there any pivotal events around communications, transfer of power,relationships, etc.?

ii. Was there conflict at any particular point?iii. Would you discuss your interactions with family members?iv. Would you discuss your interactions with business members?

c. What advice would you have for a daughter considering assuming the leadershipof her family business?


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APPENDIX B


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Appendix C

Code Name #

Quotes

Brief Description

Advice 38 Succession advice to those entering the process, in particular daughters

ApproachIncumbent

66 Perceptions on incumbent's stance re holding on, letting go or gone; endrole; preferences re successor and stance re mentor or adversary

Approach

Successor

82 Stance towards business, self in business and relationship with incumbent,

self report style

Conflict 33 Situations beyond challenge

Entry- Reason forJoining

17 Personal life space and/or business situation that factored into reason forjoining the family business

Entry: situation onentry

13 Initial steps as a full time employee, through the first few months or years.This includes expectations re succession (if any) upon entry, whether ajob was created or vacant, reactions from family, co-workers etc.

Family - Siblingsin Business

77 Comments regarding siblings working in the family business day-to-day,either past or present

Family Cultural,Background &Values

27 Accounts of family life

Family/BusinessParadox

60 Day-to-day examples when simultaneous membership in family andbusiness systems creates conflicting demands and emotions.

Family/businessrelationships

95 Examples of negotiating/managing the family/business boundary and itsimpact on relationships

Key Triad 66 References to any combination of successor/business/incumbentrelationship

Most difficult 25 Elements identified as difficult about succession or working in FB ingeneral

Nature ofsuccession

40 Statements describing succession, including felt experience.

On being Female 19 Perceptions of the impact of gender re the business

On Working inFB

22 Felt experience of working in a family business

Pre Entry: early

socialization

14 Early memories and feelings related to the family business. Indicates a

stance or attitude towards the FB formed in or held from childhood andadolescence (0-17 years approx.)


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Pre entry: lifeplan

14 Plans/aspirations to enter &/or lead the family business or not, prior tocommencing the early adult transition or as part of first adult life structure

Pre entry: work

prior

9 Work prior

Prodigal Daughter 2 Identifies participants who left home with no intension of returning

Relationship:Successor,

Incumbent,Business

67 Styles re management, closeness, relationship qualities, managing thefamily/business boundary

Role of Mother 24 References to relationship, communication with Mother

SuccessionProcess: Start

29 Time frames and, or events around start of the process including whoinitiates and drives the process

SuccessionProcess: General

67 Overview statements including time lines, formality, felt experience

SuccessionProcess: PivotalEvents

51 Identifiable turning points in the succession process occurring in either thefamily or the business system

Succession "plan" 32 Approach (formal, informal), activities undertaken, use of outside

advisors etc

SuccessorDevelopment

23 Specific training or on the job activities undertaken by the successor toprepare for leading the business

Successor: on self 43 Self-descriptions: self as leader, stance re business, self in business andtowards the incumbent

Supports/Advisors 49 Helpful people and structures

Work

Relationships

42 Relationships with employees, customers or suppliers etc

Work/life Balance 15 Comments on own work/life balance


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Appendix D

Example of Code Grouping (Early Schema)

Family Group Name Data Included for the following codes

Successor Pre-Entry Early socialization toward business

Work Prior

Life plans re career

Prodigal Daughter

Life space at joining

Successor in Business Entry- Reason for joining

Situation on entry

Successor approachStance toward the situation

Stance toward the business

Work Relationships

SuccessorIncumbent

Relationship

Approach Successor

Approach Incumbent

Relationship with Incumbent

Family Business Paradox

Family/Business Relationships

Successor Development Supports and Advisors

Key Triad

Successor Incumbent RelationshipSuccessor On self Successor Approach

On being Female

On working in Family Business

Work Life Balance

Succession Nature of

Key Triad

Planning

General comments

Pivotal events

Conflict

Most Difficult

Supports/Advisors

Family Business Paradox

Family Culture, Background and Values

Relationship to Business

Siblings in Business

Role of Mother


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Table 1

Data Analysis

Data treatment Process Details

Step 1

Initial Coding Listened to each interview one to two times Read transcripts through one to two times Noted like utterances, phrases, and words to develop broad codes

Topics began to emerge.

Step 2

Data Categorization:

Succession Time

Lines

Organized each succession story in step-by-step chronology Included dates, matched with significant events, thoughts, and/or

feelings

This enabled close analysis of each intact succession story

Step 3

Data Categorization:

Salient Elements

Recorded each participants experience on 10 elements that hademerged as commonalities in the data early life experiences,

other business experience, education, tailored training, family

dynamics, use of advisors, business conditions, relationship with

the incumbent, use of emotional intelligence and feelings towards

the business

This microanalysis enabled specific statements to be made with

confidence and became a building block for the categorization of

succession experiences.

Step 4

Electronic Coding Code data in Atlas.ti Added, split, and combined codes (see Appendix C) Began arranging code families and high-level themes. (see

Appendix D)

This step allowed for theory and schema testing.

Step 5

Thematic

Representation

Description, analysis and interpretation of data were utilized to inconstructing themes.

Trustworthiness supported by triangulation between time lines,elements and codes

The end result of the thematic analysis of the data is an emergent schema

that is connected to existing theory and knowledge at various junctures.


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Table 2

Examples of Emotional Competence

Personal Competence

Self Awareness includes recognizing ones emotions, knowing ones capabilities and having a

strong sense of self-confidence

Fiona: Im up for a good scrap every once in a while, a good challenge.

Kim, upon entering the business:

When I got into it I realized why they were having so many problems, there were just

so many things to be done. I started taking a little bit of control. The hierarchy was

[each of my two brothers were running a company and my dad was above them] Iwas coming in as a marketing manager. I definitely didnt have any autonomy at the

time. We were missing lots of financial reporting and we were missing a skill set

that most businesses would have at that senior level. I went to my dad and said, You

know, I think you need to have outside help. I think you should hire an outside CEO

and put an end to the bleeding, or youre going to be bankrupt soon. It took a lot of

convincing.

Mo, on her role in the business:

When I took over the business there were very few systems. The business went from

quite small to, for a small business, relatively large in a relatively short period of time

[Dad and my brother] were not really capable of developing a system. I came inand spent years just developing systems.

Self-RegulationIncludes self-control, operating with honesty and integrity, being flexible with changes or delays

and taking responsibility for your personal performance.

Drew, regarding the long succession process: We all needed time to adjust.

Isabelle on fairness:

I think they realize that I am a very fair person and treat everybody with the utmost

respect. I dont do things in my own self-interest, and they realize that. Dad realizedthat and Mum realized that, because I look at the family as a family unit.

Kim, when negotiating for majority shareholdings over her brother: He was my brother and I loved

him but I knew I would be doing the bulk of the work and wouldnt be satisfied with a 50/50

split.

Lane on dealing with her aging father:

His tolerance for risk is not as high as mine so its been a bit of a slog. youre

making progress and then the brakes get put on a bit. I just keep working through and

thinking about [the goal]. So, Im starting to make some of those changes. Icouldnt make a change to the Board of Directors without his approval, but he didnt


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say I couldnt start an advisory board which is what I wanted anyway which I did and

thats been great.

MotivationIncludes striving for improvement or excellence, and being persistent

Fiona: I saw we needed to change how we were doing business. I realized I had to step up, make

changes, and take charge.

Lane:

I saw things I wasnt comfortable with. I felt that I had what it took to run the business

and Im stubborn, Im competitive. I want to do things well. I thought, well, one day Ill

make queen and this is what Id like to do. Now I have the opportunity to do some of thosethings. Its gratifying and Im learning a lot.

Rita: Im quite determined, Im quite focused, I know what I want and what Ive got to achieve.

Youve got to be very resilient. Im quite good when things go wrong.

Social Competence

EmpathyIncludes actively understanding and taking an interest in others, having a service orientation, and

reading group emotional currents.

Fiona had worked alongside her father for 17 years before succession began; she described herfathers reluctance and her response.

It has been difficult for him because he feels I am taking the company from him, even though that

was the general intent... I understand his frustrations [at not wanting to let go] I dont take it

personally. I try to be very conscientious and aware that he still needs to feel that he is needed here.

Lane, while frustrated with lack of movement on a succession plan, could understand her fathers

position:

I cant speak directly for my father, but I would suspect that part of it has to do with

mortality issues. Hed had the job since he was 27 and now hes 83. He doesnt have

any hobbies, doesnt really have a lot of friends who are alive anymore and hes

really a very shy gentleman. He took over when his father died, for him succession

means death.

Drews understanding of her father: I understand why he was so hard on me [in the beginning] he

wanted me to really know this business. Regarding his reluctance to let go: I think, having

worked in the business and it having taken up so much of his time over all of those years, he wasnt

sure what else he would do then.

Clare on establishing her credentials, saw the benefits to the business as well as herself:

For me it was important that everyone who worked with us feel that I deserved to get

this job. It was important to me that I earn it and that it not just be handed to me. Sofor the succession to work I think the way that we dragged it out for as long as we did


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was important to build peoples confidence in my ability to lead.

Social SkillsInclude the ability to induce desired responses in others, open communications, conflict

management and collaboration on shared goals.

Ingrid on communications and conflict resolution

Id make a decision and then hed change it, or give an indication that it wasnt that

way or make decisions without me. I was like, whoah, Im now a part of the

company. Ive now bought into this company. You cant disregard what I think. I go

and talk to him directly, right away usually. I dont like to wait on it. I go, I talk, we

close the door, and we get it out. I let him know how I feel and, then hell either have

the self-realization and understand, most of the time thats the case, sometimes hell[say] youre overreacting or whatever. So, we try to talk it through.

Clare eased tensions between her father and brother: My father was pulling his hair out, what are

we going to do with your brother? I became a sort of coach to my father and brother.

Kim, on relations with her brother:

We talked every day, at least at the end of the day for half an hour and Id tell him

about things and decisions that needed to be made. [And ask] What do you think?

Are you in agreement? We didnt have any kind of actual arrangement together that

we had to agree all the time, but I tried to, with collaboration, I wanted him to feel

part of it.

Isabelle, on dealing with a traditionally thinking uncle in the business:

Hes posed some challenges for me over the years. Because even though he respects

what I say and I do, he has a hard time with it because Im a woman. So, Ive

learned to deal with it differently than I would of in the past. In the past I would

have approached him directly, now sometimes I use my brothers to approach him.

So it makes it easier.


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Table 3

Confirmation of Previous Research

Previous findings about succession confirmed thematically: Successorincumbent relationship is a key determinant in succession (Brockhaus,

2004; Handler, 1990; Hollander & Elman, 1988)

Incumbents have difficulty letting go (Kets de Vries, 1985; Lansberg, 1988) Successor qualities include relevant skills and abilities, availability, and

commitment to the business (Ibrahim, et al., 2004; Venter, et al., 2005)

Successor development can begin in childhood (Grote, 2003; Iannarelli, 1992) Positive introduction to the business in childhood bodes well for a career in family

business (Iannarelli, 1992)

Importance of developing relationships within the business, and understanding itsculture and operations (Lansberg & Astrachan, 1994)

Mentoring is beneficial for successor development (Boyd, et al., 1999)

daughter succession

Documents