Uncertainty around Transgenerational Control: Implications for Innovation Prior to Succession

Abstract

The transgenerational entrepreneurship perspective suggests senior-generation leaders with transgenerational control intentions (TCI) innovate to position the next generation for success, but many family firms fail to do so. We introduce transgenerational control uncertainty (TCU) as a theoretical mechanism explaining when TCI enhances innovation behaviors pre-succession. A multi-respondent, multi-time period survey of private German family firms shows that while TCI helps unleash innovation prior to succession, these effects also depend on lowering TCU as reflected in progress through the succession process. Our study suggests TCU might be a useful new construct for explaining other important differences among family firms.