Successor's commitment and succession success: dimensions and antecedents in the small Spanish family firm

The objective of this work is to study the relationships between the successor's commitment and his/her perception of the success achieved in the succession process in family firms. Several variables in the context of succession were also included in the analysis to test their influence on the different dimensions of commitment and on success. The results indicate that only the affective dimension of commitment displays a significant relationship with success. The normative dimension exercises only an indirect influence through affective commitment. The satisfaction of the successor's personal and professional needs and his/her perception of autonomy about joining the family firm are particularly relevant in the development of the affective dimension of commitment.