The Transition of Family Business Leadership:

Abstract

The issue of succession is very important because the successful succession leads to the sustainability of a family businesses (Sharma & Dave, 2013). Generally, the family businesses are difficult to flourish and even many have bankrupt. Some family businesses are bound on the first generation  and some have collapsed in the second generation.  Literature shows that just 30 percent of family businesses can be passed along to the second generation, and 70 percent fail after first generation step down because there are no preparation for succession and inability  of the next generation to control and run the company (Aronoff, (2004).  The study purposed to examine six hypotheses and the result showed the succession planning, non-family leadership, and decision making authority unsignificantly affect on the succession of the family business. Nevertheless, founder's influence, successor and strategic planning variable affect significantly to the success of family business succession at Padang city, West Sumatera.