An Examination of the Challenges Daughters Face in Family Business Succession

The literature on daughter successors of family-owned businesses suggests that they face many challenges. The purpose of this article is to determine the extent to which daughters face these challenges and discover new areas for study. Qualitative data were gathered via interviews with 10 female family business owners. Respondents encountered employee rivalry, experienced work-life balance difficulties, and never assumed they would one day be the successor. Although participants reported few problems with their fathers upon succession, many experienced difficulties succeeding their mothers. An interesting finding was the daughter's likelihood of being compared with her mother's managerial style. Future research directions are offered.