More jobs for the boys? Succession planning in SMEs

Abstract

Both the incidence of planning and the identification of female successors were lower than anticipated in this study of 128 companies with less than 50 employees. No company selected a female successor despite strong existing candidates, whether relatives or internal managers. Daughters were inappropriate for succession – they were “too good” for the workplace or were “doing something better”, i.e. teaching, health care, etc. Although female relatives benefited from resources for holidays or home improvements, only male relatives were seen as “heirs apparent” in terms of work status and treatment. Female relatives were neither developed nor encouraged as managers, despite frequently acting as mentors and trainers for the selected male successor. Views of successors and non‐successors are expressed and concerns for policy‐makers identified given the potential disappearance of firms without successors, and the neglect of available potential female managers.