IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v7y2023i2p1400-1416.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Inter-Generational Succession Planning in Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Family Businesses. A Case Study of The Challenges and Critical Issues For Consideration

Author

Listed:
  • Gregory Shumbambiri

    (Graduate School of Business, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe)

Abstract

Most indigenous family businesses in Zimbabwe are not able to continue operating after the founding owners pass away. Notwithstanding the government’s investment in education and technology, the complexity of family business succession is unabatedly escalating in Zimbabwe. This mixed method empirical study sought to evaluate inter-generational succession planning in Zimbabwe’s indigenous family businesses. The study employed the mixed-method research design and adopted the pragmatism research philosophy, with the case study research strategy being adopted. Underpinned with succession planning theory, the study sought to unravel the nature and extent of strategic succession planning; establishing the challenges and critical issues for consideration in family-owned businesses in Zimbabwe. The focus was on family-owned businesses in Harare Metropolitan Province with the population for the study comprising owners, managers and employees of the family businesses within Harare. A combination of non-probability and probability sampling methods were used specifically stratified random sampling and purposive sampling . For the interviews, the owners and directors from each company were selected whilst a total of 72 questionnaires were distributed. From the interviews, all the targeted 15 participants participated. Data for the study was collected using questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS version 16 whilst qualitative data was categorised and analysed according to themes using NVivo. The findings of the study revealed that most of the family-owned businesses in Zimbabwe do not have formal strategic succession planning policies due to unwillingness to choose successors, ignorance and family related tensions. The findings also showed that family differences which came out due to difficulty in giving up control, gender biases and conflicts over leadership roles were common amongst the family businesses. Lack of communication together with the lack of succession planning policies were some of the key issues noted. It was also revealed that succession planning greatly influences sustainable organizational growth of family-owned businesses. The correlation results revealed a significant strong positive link between succession planning and sustainable organisational growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory Shumbambiri, 2023. "Inter-Generational Succession Planning in Zimbabwe’s Indigenous Family Businesses. A Case Study of The Challenges and Critical Issues For Consideration," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(2), pages 1400-1416, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:7:y:2023:i:2:p:1400-1416
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-7-issue-2/1400-1416.pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/inter-generational-succession-planning-in-zimbabwes-indigenous-family-businesses-a-case-study-of-the-challenges-and-critical-issues-for-consideration/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ansari, Iram Fatima & Goergen, Marc & Mira, Svetlana, 2014. "The determinants of the CEO successor choice in family firms," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 6-25.
    2. Jayaram, Jayanth & Dixit, Mita & Motwani, Jaideep, 2014. "Supply chain management capability of small and medium sized family businesses in India: A multiple case study approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PB), pages 472-485.
    3. Michel, Alexandra & Kammerlander, Nadine, 2015. "Trusted advisors in a family business's succession-planning process—An agency perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 45-57.
    4. Martin Quinn & Martin R. W. Hiebl & Ken Moores & Justin B. Craig, 2018. "Future research on management accounting and control in family firms: suggestions linked to architecture, governance, entrepreneurship and stewardship," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 529-546, February.
    5. Mussolino, Donata & Cicellin, Mariavittoria & Pezzillo Iacono, Mario & Consiglio, Stefano & Martinez, Marcello, 2019. "Daughters’ self-positioning in family business succession: A narrative inquiry," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 72-86.
    6. Kenneth Chukwujioke Agbim, 2019. "Determining the contributory factors to successful succession and post-succession performance of family-owned SMEs in South Eastern Nigeria," International Entrepreneurship Review, Centre for Strategic and International Entrepreneurship at the Cracow University of Economics., vol. 5(2), pages 53-73.
    7. Mussolino, Donata & Calabrò, Andrea, 2014. "Paternalistic leadership in family firms: Types and implications for intergenerational succession," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 5(2), pages 197-210.
    8. Nyoni, Thabani, 2019. "Factors affecting succession planning in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Zimbabwe: a case study of Harare," MPRA Paper 91352, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aleš Kubíček & Ondřej Machek, 2019. "Gender-related factors in family business succession: a systematic literature review," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 963-1002, November.
    2. Vuong, Quan-Hoang & Huyen, Nguyen Thanh Thanh & Pham, Thanh-Hang & Phuong, Luong Anh & Nguyen, Minh-Hoang, 2020. "Mapping the intellectual and conceptual structure of research on gender issues in the family business: A bibliometric review," OSF Preprints jgnrw, Center for Open Science.
    3. Mariavittoria Cicellin & Donata Mussolino & Riccardo Viganò, 2015. "Gender diversity and father-daughter relationships: understanding the role of paternalistic leadership in family firm succession," International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 10(1), pages 97-118.
    4. Alice Medioli & Pier Luigi Marchini & Tatiana Mazza, 2024. "The impact of corruption and public governance quality on family firm business strategy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(1), pages 55-69, January.
    5. Berger, Allen N. & Kick, Thomas & Schaeck, Klaus, 2014. "Executive board composition and bank risk taking," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 48-65.
    6. Akhmedova, Anna & Cavallotti, Rita & Marimon, Frederic & Campopiano, Giovanna, 2020. "Daughters’ careers in family business: Motivation types and family-specific barriers," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3).
    7. Aldrich, Howard E. & Brumana, Mara & Campopiano, Giovanna & Minola, Tommaso, 2021. "Embedded but not asleep: Entrepreneurship and family business research in the 21st century," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    8. Maura Pozzi & Carlo Pistoni & Silvio Carlo Ripamonti & Amalia De Leo, 2023. "Generation and Gender Differences in Family Businesses: A New Psychological Perspective," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 919-934, December.
    9. Fries, Alexander & Kammerlander, Nadine & Leitterstorf, Max, 2021. "Leadership Styles and Leadership Behaviors in Family Firms: A Systematic Literature Review," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 12(1).
    10. Gregory Shumbambiri & Dr Judith Mwenje, 2023. "Family Business Literature Overview: Towards Achieving Family Business Growth," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(5), pages 942-951, May.
    11. Liu, Fangyi, 2021. "Family business succession roadblock model based on fuzzy linguistic preference relations," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    12. Ticián Baranyai & Miklós Kozma, 2019. "Family Firms with New Leaders in the Global Market.– A Potential Success Story?," Acta Oeconomica, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 69(supplemen), pages 131-162, December.
    13. Tzu-Ching Weng & Kai-Jui Hsu & Tzu-Hsuan Kuo, 2023. "Family Succession and Quality of Financial Information: Evidence from China," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 13(3), pages 1-4.
    14. Child, John & Hsieh, Linda & Elbanna, Said & Karmowska, Joanna & Marinova, Svetla & Puthusserry, Pushyarag & Tsai, Terence & Narooz, Rose & Zhang, Yunlu, 2017. "SME international business models: The role of context and experience," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 664-679.
    15. Andreas Strobl & Kurt Matzler & Bright Adu Nketia & Viktoria Veider, 2020. "Individual innovation behavior and firm-level exploration and exploitation: how family firms make the most of their managers," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 809-844, August.
    16. Rebeca García-Ramos & Belén Díaz-Díaz & Myriam García-Olalla, 2017. "Independent directors, large shareholders and firm performance: the generational stage of family businesses and the socioemotional wealth approach," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 119-156, January.
    17. Crespí-Cladera, Rafel & Pascual-Fuster, Bartolomé, 2014. "Does the independence of independent directors matter?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 116-134.
    18. Barbara Iannone, 2019. "Il controllo strategico nelle imprese familiari del settore vitivinicolo. Elaborazione di una proposta," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2019(1), pages 45-72.
    19. Kettunen, Jukka & Martikainen, Minna & Voulgaris, Georgios, 2021. "Employment policies in private loss firms: Return to profitability and the role of family CEOs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 373-390.
    20. Cunningham, James & Seaman, Claire & McGuire, David, 2016. "Knowledge sharing in small family firms: A leadership perspective," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 34-46.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:7:y:2023:i:2:p:1400-1416. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.