Overcoming barriers: the struggle for recognition of female successors in Indonesian family business

Family businesses are vital to Indonesia’s economy, making succession a critical process. However, female successors often face a “glass ceiling,” due to ingrained gender biases and traditional family roles, limiting their advancement into leadership roles within their family business. Recognising their unique identities can function as an alternative pathway to leadership, ensuring business continuity by challenging gender bias. This study aims to explore how recognition empowers female successors in Indonesia family business to overcome gender bias and pursue leaderships roles. Employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study explored the lived experiences of nine female successors based on specific criteria. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. This research reveals that female successors face gender bias and credibility gap. To gain recognition, female successors actively imitate their fathers’ behaviour and building trust by fostering acceptance through dialogue. Drawing on Honneth’s recognition theory, female successors’ leadership transition is aided by verbal affirmation, paternal mentorship, legal adherence, and role appreciation. Future research should examine a larger sample and more diverse sample of female successors, tracking their experiences over a longer period, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities they encounter within the unique context understand their evolving experiences in family business.