Gender and succession planning: opportunities for females to lead Indonesian family businesses

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the opportunities for them to manage this type of company within the Indonesian context.Design/methodology/approachThis paper features descriptive multi-case analyses with a qualitative approach being used to gather and analyze data through in-depth interviews with several Indonesian family business owners having experience of succession.FindingsThe participation of women in family business management in several major Indonesian cities is quite extensive, especially for those who are highly educated. Similarly, the benefits of involving women in the management of family businesses are quite high because of their personal traits of patience, fastidiousness, tenacity and thriftiness. What is required is to provide wider access for Indonesian women to corporate management positions, broaden their participation in family businesses, secure a controlling role for women and increase women’s knowledge and skills so as to increase the benefit to family company management and its ability to face global competition.Originality/valueA conceptual framework demonstrating the various stages of succession planning related to gender equality, which provide women with an opportunity to form the next generation of family business leaders is provided.