This is the first systematic study of the succession process of Chinese family businesses which reveals what is truly happening during the time of hand-over. In explaining the features of the Chinese way of succession, special attention is paid to the transfer of social capital and guanxi, among other cultural and socioeconomic contexts, which could impact the behaviours and decisions of the family business stakeholders. Carefully selected 63 cases of family firms and the authentic words and experiences of the founders and their second generation are of high relevance in helping the readers to understand Chinese family businesses and their successions as well as to learn from their successes or failures.

This is the first systematic study of the succession process of Chinese family businesses which reveals what is truly happening during the time of hand-over. In explaining the features of the Chinese way of succession, special attention is paid to the transfer of social capital and guanxi, among other cultural and socioeconomic contexts, which could impact the behaviours and decisions of the family business stakeholders. Carefully selected 63 cases of family firms and the authentic words and experiences of the founders and their second generation are of high relevance in helping the readers to understand Chinese family businesses and their successions as well as to learn from their successes or failures.

Succession is inevitable and vital for the longevity of family businesses. But what do we know about succession in family businesses and where do we go from here? How does the interaction of family and business impact on succession? And which roles play identity and family member identification during the succession process? This book expands our knowledge on succession and prepares the grounds for a holistic view of succession in family businesses. Its first contribution is a systematic, replicable, and scientific review and consolidation of the theoretical and empirical literature on succession of the last 18 years into a transparent, logical, and in-depth framework. Furthermore, by analyzing the business and the family dimension in the context of succession, this book aims at detecting different succession patterns in family businesses and analyzes which factors influence the nature of successful succession processes. Besides its scientific contribution, this book helps family businesses and business families to better understand mechanisms happening during succession and enables them to identify and to understand their individual succession pattern. The findings of this book are based on a qualitative study conducted in the German Wine Industry. The sample consists of 21 family-owned and -managed German wineries, being, on average, in their 11th generation of existence. 37 semi-structured interviews held with both generations of one family if possible, translated into 695 pages of raw data. This data was coded and analyzed following a grounded theory approach.

This book disputes the traditional argument that the equal inheritance system hinders the growth of Chinese family business, approaching this not only in terms of economic capital, but also in terms of human capital such as education and leadership, and social networks. Zheng argues that most of the family business patriarchs only focus on the passing on economic capital, but give little attention to human capital and social capital when the come to the stage to transfer control to the next level. It further elaborates that the equal inheritance system itself isn’t the destructive force that weakens family business competitiveness, but can assist economic development by generating dynamism and capital. Based on extensive primary research, the work discusses how equal division encourages sibling comparison, analysing how such comparisons initially generate stress and anxiety but will ultimately galvanize competition, benefiting the business. The author also assesses how family division can offer initial economic human and social capitals that can motivate siblings to start their own businesses and be free from the subjugation sometimes associated with a family firm. Through the evaluation of these issues the book argues that the equal inheritance system can be regarded as the origin of the self-employment mentality, which not only fosters the growth of Chinese family business by plays crucial role in promoting economic development. Providing a valuable contribution to the field, this work will be of great interest to all scholars of Chinese and Asian business.

This book examines current research related to succession planning strategies and tactics. The authors compare and contrast the rationale and processes needed for effective and efficient succession planning. This is a comprehensive endeavor exploring succession planning across today’s key disciplines: business, education, and healthcare. Succession planning is examined from the commercial, government, and non-profit lens. The book features active research, broad literature reviews, and examines conceptual frameworks. From this valuable contribution to succession planning research, readers will receive a thorough assessment of the theoretical foundations of succession planning and ethical considerations for sustainable leadership.

The Routledge Companion to Family Business offers a definitive survey of a field that has seen rapid growth in research in recent years. Edited by leading scholars with contributions from the top minds in family business from around the world, this volume provides researchers and scholars with a comprehensive understanding of the state of the discipline. Over 25 chapters address a wide variety of subjects, providing readers with a thorough review of the key research themes in the modern family firm, such as corporate social responsibility and bank debt rationing. International examples cover a wide range of economies including China, Europe, and Latin America. The book will appeal to undergraduates, postgraduates and business instructors seeking a definitive view of the issues and solutions that affect and support family business.

Crossroads of Family Businesses in China: Succession and Transformation studies the intergenerational succession in family-owned businesses, specifically in the Chinese mainland. With the succession of family businesses over time, transformation is required as it needs to correspond to the world's development to successfully sustain the company. There is a multitude of factors that play their roles accordingly to perform a prosperous accession.Hence, this book highlights common issues such as the challenges for both succession and transformation of the company, the interest of the second generation, introducing the second generation to the business before fully passing on, family culture and morale, the distinction between wealth inheritance and business succession, the unorthodox tradition of mother-to-daughter succession and opening management to professionals. These topics are substantiated by case studies of Chinese family businesses, such as Neoglory Group, Midea, Red Collar, Fotile and even more. The book offers theories, practices and models for strategic transformations during succession.Readers will be able to enjoy insights into a critical evaluation of the intersection between succession and transformation. They will also discover how the different methods of succession utilized by real-life Chinese family-owned businesses affect the businesses' performance. This book will be their first step in constructing a thought on this topic, while indulging in an incredible learning experience.