Management Succession in Small and Micro Family Enterprises : Owner-Managers’ Perspective

The sustainability of family enterprises depends heavily on their successful inter-generational succession. Drawing inspiration from earlier works, this study investigates the impact of owner-manager’s attitude toward management succession within small and micro family enterprises in India. The study uses a mixed-method sequential exploratory research design. The thematic analysis included 12 participants from three north Indian states who were incumbents for more than two decades with a minimum qualification of a college degree. The descriptive survey had 234 respondents from eleven north Indian states. Analysis of findings indicates a positive influence of owner-manager’s attitude towards all factors except the professional education of children, on retaining management control in the family. This article adds to the body of knowledge about management succession in small and micro family enterprises by studying owner-managers’ perspective, a subject matter hitherto under-investigated. The results will help better understand, plan, and implement management succession in family businesses, contributing to their continuity and effective performance