Intergenerational Management Research Articles

Portuguese and Brazilian Family Business: in Between Urgency and Delay Perceptions in the Succession Process

Abstract Family business has been the focus of several studies over the last two decades and its relevance has been supported by the interdisciplinary perspectives in the fields of management, entrepreneurship, economics, psychology, and sociology. Despite that, there is still insufficient knowledge about the key role of family influences in the business, namely the intergenerational management succession, its planning and effectiveness. According to a recent research focused on the entrepreneurial succession in Portugal (AEP, 2011), 50% of family businesses are not passed on to the second generation and only 20% reach the third generation. In fact, business succession planning has been identified as one of the most challenging steps in the life of the family firm, both in maintaining the competiveness of the business, and in overcoming intra/inter family conflicts. Nonetheless, resistance to succession, relationship founder/successor, planning of succession, and type of organisational culture, among others, explain how executive succession is one of the most important and hardest tasks in organisational life (Zahra, 2005). This paper will be supported mainly by qualitative data, taking into account the main results from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE2020/FEDER) developed in Portugal (Marques, 2018) and in Brazil (Silva, 2018), which analyses in-depth interviews conducted to Portuguese (N 23) and Brazilian (N 11) founders/managers/owners. In the present article we wish to discuss the main management challenges of a family business, particularly the importance of succession preparation and the role of the family in the socialisation of the second (third or subsequent) generation.

Intergenerational Management Succession: Specificities of the Portuguese Family Business

Abstract Family firms are considered the world’s most predominant form of business organisation. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a lack of consensus with regards to their definition, on recognise that family firms are different from non-family businesses due to their specific relations at three levels, namely ownership, business and family. It would appear that the family influences, shapes and conditions both the firm and its continuity, mainly through the intergenerational management succession, its planning and effectiveness. According to a recent research focused on the entrepreneurial succession in Portugal (AEP, 2011), 50% of family businesses are not passed on to the second generation, and only 20% reach the third generation. Also, taking into account the main results from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE2020/FEDER), the empirical findings have proved that the business succession planning has been identified as one of the most challenging steps in the life of the family firm, which demands for appropriate analysis. In fact, resistance to succession, relationship founder/successor, planning of succession, type of organisational culture, among others, explain how executive succession is one of the most important and hardest tasks in organisational life. In this article, we aim to discuss the main management challenges of a family business, particularly the importance of succession preparation and the role of the family in the socialisation of the second (third or subsequent) generation. Based on an online survey (N 1148) and on in-depth interviews conducted to founder/manager/owner (N 23), we will seek to point out major challenges faced by the Portuguese family business, as far as this matter is concerned.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP FOR GENERATION Z IN AN ERA OF CHANGING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT

The changing world of work absorbing Generation Z has to cope with the concept of employee commitment in a new way. Rapid staff turnover many organizations experience establishes a need for alternative leadership and management thinking, understanding that the era in which employees seek stability and long-term roles is over. This article presents the association between Generation Z characteristics, intergenerational management and leadership and Generation Z employee commitment. The article presents the view that this commitment is not necessarily measured in terms of time employees remain in organizations but, rather, to outcomes and connection to the success and progress of their roles. The article presents an approach for strengthening Generation Z employees' commitment through an understanding of their characteristics and expectations from organizations, improving management and leadership skills among managers from generations X and Y, adapting employee induction processes to Generation Z characteristics and the work environment to new employee needs.

Portraits of Women Founders and Leaders in the North of Portugal: Do Academic Qualifications Matter in the Cultural Patterns of Family Firms?

Abstract This paper aims to discuss continuities and ruptures carried out by women in leadership in family firms (FFs). Despite female underrepresentation on top positions in firms broadly speaking, our findings gathered from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE-02-0853-FEDER-000018) reveal an ongoing transformation regarding intergenerational management succession in family firms. In fact, while it is recognizable that micro, meso and macro-structural gender barriers remain, family businesses have been the scene of intergenerational changes with a notable presence of women in management and corporate responsibility careers. To what extent have female founders and successors expressed significant changes in the cultural patterns of family businesses, especially when they have high academic qualifications and professional experience? To answer this research question, nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with business women/ managers of family businesses regarding their career experiences compared with those of male counterparts. This paper finds that the “masculinist” perspective is shifting due to the crucial role of the qualifications and professional competence of family firms’ female founders and leaders. Likewise, the increase in the academic level of women in today's society is one of the factors that is at the root of the emergence of shifting in the cultural patterns of family businesses with impact in the intergenerational succession. (JEL: L2)

Portraits of Women Founders and Leaders in the North of Portugal: Do Academic Qualifications Matter in the Cultural Patterns of Family Firms?

Abstract This paper aims to discuss continuities and ruptures carried out by women in leadership in family firms (FFs). Despite female underrepresentation on top positions in firms broadly speaking, our findings gathered from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE-02-0853-FEDER-000018) reveal an ongoing transformation regarding intergenerational management succession in family firms. In fact, while it is recognizable that micro, meso and macro-structural gender barriers remain, family businesses have been the scene of intergenerational changes with a notable presence of women in management and corporate responsibility careers. To what extent have female founders and successors expressed significant changes in the cultural patterns of family businesses, especially when they have high academic qualifications and professional experience? To answer this research question, nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with business women/ managers of family businesses regarding their career experiences compared with those of male counterparts. This paper finds that the “masculinist” perspective is shifting due to the crucial role of the qualifications and professional competence of family firms’ female founders and leaders. Likewise, the increase in the academic level of women in today's society is one of the factors that is at the root of the emergence of shifting in the cultural patterns of family businesses with impact in the intergenerational succession. (JEL: L2)

Managing Different Generations in the Workplace

Abstract In an ageing society, intergenerational management is becoming increasingly important for organizations. The strategies used by managers in managing the work of the different generational groups working at a particular time in an organization must focus on reducing the differences between them while maintaining their diversity. Choosing the most effective strategies starts with knowing and understanding the characteristics of each generation; implementing them can be done both by exercising appropriate leadership styles and by incorporating them into organizational policies and practices. In this way, a climate of intergenerational cooperation can be built which can only support the achievement of organizational objectives.

THE MOROCCAN WAQF AND THE COMMON-LAW TRUST: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Etymologically, the term trust originates from Latin; it means “care”. Charitable trusts and waqfs are methods of facilitating the intergenerational management of family wealth. Both are thought of as estate-planning vehicles, ensuring that assets of the testate go to certain individuals or organizations. However, whereas the trust has expanded its scope to cover the economic field, the waqf in Morocco is still considered a religious exercise. While there are shared features between the Moroccan waqf and the trust, they are conceptually and practically different in many aspects, most importantly in their perception of ownership and their contrasting stances regarding endowment duration. Despite the importance of the trust. The comparative legal methodology has been adopted to study the spirit of the different legal systems. The comparison has revealed the existence of undeniable similarities in terms of the management of endowments, yet the differences are numerous, especially with regard to ownership structure, juristic personality, and perpetuity rules, among others.

Potential of Age-management in the Construction Digitalization Process

Research background: The article deals with the issue of intergenerational cooperation of different age categories. It follows up on the outputs of the research task “Intergenerational management to support digitization in construction” funded by TACR. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to determine the main problems of intergenerational cooperation and to analyse the current situation from the point of view of solving the necessary changes by introducing digitization in the construction industry. Methods: When modelling mutual cooperation between generations, it turns out that the key problem is the willingness to cooperate. Interpretation of the results obtained from the research was made through logical deduction and synthesis of previous knowledge in the field. Findings & Value added: The findings of the article are in the form of determining the main attributes preventing effective intergenerational cooperation with the aim of sharing digital competencies. The outputs of the article are the cornerstone for the model of intergenerational cooperation based on improving communication between generations, mutual sharing of competencies and thus the use of the strengths of individual cooperating generations (digital competence vs. long-term experience in the field). The research project shows a way to deal with the situation in companies and offers a relatively simple solution that aims to improve intergenerational cooperation and sharing competencies in order to increase the competitiveness of companies. It also offers a way to make effective use of older employees and offer them job satisfaction.

Portuguese and Brazilian Family Business: in Between Urgency and Delay Perceptions in the Succession Process

Family business has been the focus of several studies over the last two decades and its relevance has been supported by the interdisciplinary perspectives in the fields of management, entrepreneurship, economics, psychology, and sociology. Despite that, there is still insufficient knowledge about the key role of family influences in the business, namely the intergenerational management succession, its planning and effectiveness. According to a recent research focused on the entrepreneurial succession in Portugal (AEP, 2011), 50 percent of family businesses are not passed on to the second generation and only 20 percent reach the third generation. In fact, business succession planning has been identified as one of the most challenging steps in the life of the family firm, both in maintaining the competiveness of the business, and in overcoming intra/ inter family conflicts. Nonetheless, resistance to succession, relationship founder/ successor, planning of succession, and type of organisational culture, among others, explain how executive succession is one of the most important and hardest tasks in organisational life (Zahra, 2005). This paper will be supported mainly by qualitative data, taking into account the main results from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE2020/FEDER) developed in Portugal (Marques, 2018) and in Brazil (Silva, 2018), which analyses in-depth interviews conducted to Portuguese (N 23) and Brazilian (N 11) founders/managers/owners. In the present article we wish to discuss the main management challenges of a family business, particularly the importance of succession preparation and the role of the family in the socialisation of the second (third or subsequent) generation.

Digitalization for Human Resource Management

Behaviours, sometimes different expectations as well as mastery and use of IT are new data to be integrated within the framework of an effective human resources policy. In the absence of real intergenerational management that promotes synergy and the emergence of collective intelligence, individual employees develop withdrawal strategies and anticipate their exclusion, which leads them to self-stigmatize. The objective of intergenerational management is to establish a working climate that promotes communication between generations and their well-being. It makes it possible to organize interactions between generations in work situations and define a common operating language so that profiles of the same age and different ages can lead to the implementation of a joint project. In other words, the usefulness of intergenerational management is to reduce tensions and conflicts beyond stereotypes. The article deals with the issue of intergenerational management to understand the sources of disputes between the different generations within Moroccan companies in the banking sector. The main objective of the research is twofold, firstly to determine the source of the intergenerational conflict by referring to a set of theoretical and empirical studies. The latter shows that the conflict between the different generations is closely linked to the systems of human resource management. On the other hand, bringing concrete leads to companies to understand the problem of intergenerational and to adapt their management methods according to the expectations of the different socio-professional categories. To respond to this problem in the Moroccan context, a qualitative empirical study was conducted with managers from three generations: baby boomers, generation X and generation Y and working in four banks. The empirical research has made it possible to understand the expectations of different ages and shows that beyond the intrinsic characteristics of individuals at work, expectations converge, and the organization of action is likely to be the primary source of intergenerational conflicts. Also, the digitization and use of the computer tool by different generations do not present an obstacle to intergenerational cooperation. The present study provided answers to the defined problem. It also made it possible to identify other variables capable of explaining the intergenerational conflict other than those identified in the literature review. It is more particularly the problem of time management and the lack of support systems. As a research perspective, the results of this study will be useful for testing these hypotheses and confirming them, considering the specificities of Moroccan business. Keywords collective intelligence, digitalization, expectation, human resource management, individual competence, intergenerational conflict.

Intergenerational Management Succession: Specificities of the Portuguese Family Business

Family firms are considered the world’s most predominant form of business organisation. Notwithstanding the fact that there is a lack of consensus with regards to their definition, on recognise that family firms are different from non-family businesses due to their specific relations at three levels, namely ownership, business and family. It would appear that the family influences, shapes and conditions both the firm and its continuity, mainly through the intergenerational management succession, its planning and effectiveness. According to a recent research focused on the entrepreneurial succession in Portugal (AEP, 2011), 50% of family businesses are not passed on to the second generation, and only 20% reach the third generation. Also, taking into account the main results from the project “Roadmap for Portuguese Family Businesses” (NORTE2020/FEDER), the empirical findings have proved that the business succession planning has been identified as one of the most challenging steps in the life of the family firm, which demands for appropriate analysis. In fact, resistance to succession, relationship founder/ successor, planning of succession, type of organisational culture, among others, explain how executive succession is one of the most important and hardest tasks in organisational life. In this article, we aim to discuss the main management challenges of a family business, particularly the importance of succession preparation and the role of the family in the socialisation of the second (third or subsequent) generation. Based on an online survey (N 1148) and on in-depth interviews conducted to founder/ manager/ owner (N 23), we will seek to point out major challenges faced by the Portuguese family business, as far as this matter is concerned.

Intergenerational management in the group of people subjected to job reintegration as a form of maintaining social security potential in Poland

The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical reflection and results of a pilot study research on intergenerational management in the group of participants of Centrum Integracji Społecznej (later called: Social Integration Centre) in Jeleśnia who underwent job reintegration and can socially improve the social potential of internal security. The concept of national identity and intergenerational awareness in terms of ensuring the social security potential of the country depends in reintegration groups on the broadly understood level of diversity of the team. An important feature of intergenerational management in socially reintegrated groups is situational awareness, mutual respect and a sense of group unity with the leader and vice versa. The mere fact that intergenerational management in relation to security management, the essence of which is to ensure social security potential, is becoming an indispensable issue from a practical point of view (Cf. Ponomarenko & Khudolei, & Prokopenko, & Klisinski, 2018). On the other hand, however, research in the area of management, which is also in the humanities area (Kostera, 2005, 2015), makes it possible to discover new methods and opportunities for the development of social security potential through intergenerational cooperation based on the methods of social education philosophy The article therefore has a quasi-empirical and interdisciplinary nature, as it uses terminology, concepts and thematic scope from the fields of management, security, and elements of upbringing studies.

Theoretical and some practical perspectives on age diversity and comparative age management

Aging of the population has a major impact on the labour market. The problems that arise are: the problem of employment of the elderly and the existing retirement system and the stability of the pension fund. The measures in the area of retirement and changing legislation and social care of older people are not enough to solve the organisational employment structure and maintaining organisational knowledge. It is necessary to focus on increasing flexibility of employment and age diversity in the workplace. Managing the diversity of the workforce within the organisation is a great challenge for any organisation, in order to achieve maximum efficiency of the organisation and employee productivity. The study is primarily intended for career designers and human resource management in organisations. The findings of the research are related to the relatively unexplored area of age diversity in the organisation. The research is focused on factors that affect and contribute to the economic outcomes of the organisation, the efficiency and productivity of individuals and coexistence of age-diverse employees in the workplace. The organisation and its age diversity employees are essential for intergenerational management and age management.

Anticipating intergenerational management transfer of family firms: A typology of next generation’s future leadership projections

A key assumption in family business research and practice is that for family businesses to have a future, succession must be secured. Because family businesses are hybrid organizations with partially or totally overlapping family and business identities, a second consensual assumption is shared by most family business scholars and entrepreneurs: the business needs to stay in the family, so intra-family succession is the optimal ownership and management transfer solution. Yet both assumptions adopt the perspective of the business founder or the current family business leader. Next generations are rarely asked to express their thoughts and feelings about the future of the family firms that they are expected to protect, develop and pass on to their own children. Do next generation members share these two assumptions or do they envision their potential leadership role differently, expressing alternative views about the meaning and scope of family business succession? In this article, we present and discuss four alternative future leadership projections generated by a group of 14 next generation members participating in a training workshop held in the west of France in August 2013.

"Family Firms, Inter-Generational Management, and Sustainability Strategies"

Within the family firm segment, attention to social issues and outcomes varies widely. While some variation can be explained by firm size, industrial sector, and visibility, less is known about the impact of inter-generational management on social issues. This study investigates the interplay of intergenerational management, the entrance into sustainable market niches, and the adoption of sustainable production practices. We suggest that firms with high levels of inter-generational cooperation are more likely to invest in sustainable technologies that promise market returns, while senior- manager dominated firms will be more to likely adopt economically costly stewardship practices.

Discursive stability meets climate instability: A critical exploration of the concept of ‘climate stabilization’ in contemporary climate policy

The goals and objectives of ‘climate stabilization’ feature heavily in contemporary environmental policy and in this paper we trace the factors that have contributed to the rise of this concept and the scientific ideas behind it. In particular, we explore how the stabilization-based discourse has become dominant through developments in climate science, environmental economics and policymaking. That this discourse is tethered to contemporary policy proposals is unsurprising; but that it has remained relatively free of critical scrutiny can be associated with fears of unsettling often-tenuous political processes taking place at multiple scales. Nonetheless, we posit that the fundamental premises behind stabilization targets are badly matched to the actual problem of the intergenerational management of climate change, scientifically and politically, and destined to fail. By extension, we argue that policy proposals for climate stabilization are problematic, infeasible, and hence impede more productive policy action on climate change. There are gains associated with an expansion and reconsideration of the range of possible policy framings of the problem, which are likely to help us to more capably and dynamically achieve goals of decarbonizing and modernizing the energy system, as well as diminishing anthropogenic contributions to climate change.

Long-term building stock survival and intergenerational management: the role of institutional regimes

Intergenerational value-management of the built environment requires preservation of both natural capital and man-made resources. A consequence is that buildings and infrastructure should be used as long as possible. Considering that built cultural heritage is mainly a ‘non-renewable’ capital, it affords a number of insights and lessons that can be more widely adapted to other parts of the built environment. The following key issues are discussed: long-term patterns and dynamics of the building stock; specific survival profiles for groups of buildings; strategies that have led to a long-term value preservation in the past; and robustness of former and existing strategies. Segments of the stock that could be used as a role model for the management of the entire stock are discussed as well as the possible contribution of public policy and institutional regimes to long-term value preservation. A related conceptual basis for an inventory of the built cultural heritage is presented in an appendix. La gestion de la valeur intergénérationnelle du cadre bâti nécessite que soient préservés à la fois le capital naturel et les ressources créées par l'homme. Cela a notamment pour conséquence que les bâtiments et les infrastructures devraient être utilisés le plus longtemps possible. Compte tenu du fait que le patrimoine culturel bâti est essentiellement un capital « non renouvelable », cela autorise un certain nombre de réflexions et de leçons qui peuvent être plus largement adaptées à d'autres parties du cadre bâti. Il est discuté des questions-clés suivantes: schémas et dynamique à long terme du parc bâti; profils de survie spécifiques aux différents types de bâtiments; stratégies qui, par le passé, ont conduit à une préservation de la valeur sur le long terme; et solidité des stratégies existantes et antérieures. Il est discuté des parties du parc qui pourraient être utilisées comme modèle pour la gestion de l'ensemble du parc, ainsi que de la contribution possible des politiques publiques et des régimes institutionnels à la préservation de la valeur sur le long terme. Une base conceptuelle connexe permettant un inventaire du patrimoine culturel bâti est présentée en annexe. Mots clés: parc bâti, environnements historiques, régimes institutionnels, politiques publiques, gestion durable, temps, valeur, préservation de la valeur

Succession Planning in Family-owned Businesses

A key issue for many family-owned businesses (FOBs) is intergenerational management succession.This article investigates the dynamics of the succession process for FOBs that have already taken the succession decision and have selected their successors.The primary goal of the study is to delineate the factors behind the succession process by investigating selection, training and entry mode of successors as well as the involvement of family members and stakeholders in the succession process. Data from the predecessors of 408 FOBs in Turkey reveals a number of insightful findings regarding major characteristics of the FOB succession process including the views of predecessors on the succession process, successor selection criteria and the post-succession period.This is the first systematic study to deal with the succession process in Turkish FOBs, which previously has been informed only by anecdotal evidence.