Sustainable Succession in the Wine Industry

Abstract

Most studies that investigate sustainability across the wine industry and related support industries focus on the “triple-bottom-line.” None directly consider company succession planning as a sustainability driver. What skills will leaders of successive generations need? Two qualitative field research methodologies are used for this investigation: (1) content analyses of published wine business case studies and (2) focus groups with wine business leaders. Leaders continuously develop skills and capabilities. Transactional and transformational leadership converges when it came to leading the business: (1) supporting the next generation, (2) emotional intelligence, (3) industry knowledge, and (4) active listening, also known as superior communication skills. A 2x2 matrix modeling optimal vs. sub-optimal leadership styles, propositions for further research, case vignettes, and implications for practitioners are presented.