Successional Transmission between Predecessor and Successor: Relational and Cognitive Perspectives

Nada Khachlouf¹, Adnan Maâlaoui^2
(1. ICD Business School, Paris, France; 2. ESG Management School, Paris, France)

Abstract: The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of cognitive and relational factors on the transmission success of family firms. We developed and tested a model linking the successor’s personal network and the successor’s absorptive capacity to the success of the transmission process. The results of a case study carried out on a French transportation company underline the relevance of the two categories of factors for the transmission success. We contribute to previous work by blending in a single model two theoretical perspectives: a social perspective and a strategic perspective of the successional transmission factors of family firms.

Key words: successional transmission; relational factor; strategic factor; qualitative study

JEL code: M19