CEO turnover in family firms: How social exchange relationships influence whether a non-family CEO stays or leaves

Abstract

Interpersonal relationships are an important factor in organizations, and a growing number of articles examine how such relationships affect why people stay or leave organizations. In this article, we investigate how affective attachment between actors influences the turnover and retention process of non-family CEOs in family firms. By employing a social exchange perspective, we reveal under which conditions affective attachment come into being. We focus on the relationship between a non-family CEO and two generations of the owner family. Conceptualizing their relationship as an exchange triad, we show how imbalances influence the affective attachment created in this triad and outline the implications for turnover. Our article contributes to the literature on family businesses and turnover by linking the affective side of interpersonal relationships to CEO retention and turnover.