Carry the past into the future: the effects of CEO temporal focus on succession planning in family firms

Feifei Lu (), Ho Kwong Kwan () and Bin Ma ()
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Feifei Lu: Shanghai University
Ho Kwong Kwan: China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
Bin Ma: IE University

Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 2022, vol. 39, issue 2, No 14, 763-804

Abstract: Abstract In this study, the relationship between CEO temporal focus and family business succession planning is examined and the moderating effects of family interactions and environmental uncertainty are assessed. Based on data from 198 CEOs of family businesses and additional data from 15 semi-structured interviews in China, we find that CEO temporal focus (i.e., past, present, or future focus) is positively associated with succession planning. In addition, family interactions strengthen the relationship between CEO past focus and succession planning and weaken the relationship between CEO future focus and succession planning. Moreover, in uncertain environments, past-focused CEOs are more likely to plan for succession than present-focused CEOs. The theoretical contributions and practical implications of the study are also discussed.

Keywords: Temporal focus; Succession planning; Environmental uncertainty; Family interaction; Family firm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10490-020-09748-4

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