Navigating Intra-family Succession Success: A Comprehensive Review of Individual, Interpersonal, and Firm-Level Dynamics in Family Firms

This study synthesizes research on intra-family succession, focusing on next-generation (NexGen) engagement, and builds a model of successful succession in the context of family businesses. It employs a systematic literature review (SLR) of three reputable databases: Scopus, Science Direct, and ProQuest. A total of 886 research articles from the last ten years (2015-2024) were screened. After careful investigation, 147 articles were synthesized to develop an integrative model and propositions. This study develops an intra-family business succession model that identifies three key themes—business acumen, parental altruism, and authoritative parenting—along with six propositions. This emphasizes the importance of succession planning, cultural influences, non-monetary values, resource transfers, intangible assets, and interpersonal dynamics. Understanding how successors and NexGen leaders perceive their roles in succession stages is essential for developing effective strategies to ensure the longevity and competitiveness of family businesses. This study reveals a comprehensive multi-level approach that integrates individual, interpersonal, and firm-level dynamics while incorporating business perspectives, socioemotional wealth and authoritative parenting styles into the family business succession framework. JEL Codes: L26, D13, M13 Keywords: Intra-family succession, Multi-level perspectives. NexGen engagement, Successful succession, Systematic literature review.