Inhibitors and facilitators of talent management and succession in family-owned firms: A multilevel perspective

Research on talent management (TM) in family-owned firms (FOFs) often focuses on non-family professionals (NFPs), overlooking family successors (FSs), while succession research does the reverse. This creates a gap in understanding how TM and succession adoption affect both groups. Drawing on 35 in-depth interviews with NFPs and FSs, we adopt a relational, multilevel lens to examine inhibitors and facilitators across macro-socioeconomic, meso-organizational, and micro-individual levels. At the macro level, gender inequality and patriarchal authority inhibit TM and succession, while “baradari or clan culture” supports NFPs’ TM. At the meso level, informal governance and multiple reporting lines inhibit both processes, but spontaneous decision-making hinders FSs’ succession while aiding NFPs’ TM. At the micro level, owner syndrome impedes both TM and succession for FSs and NFPs, whereas development initiatives support both. The study’s novel contribution is to use and adapt Syed and Özbilgin’s relational, multilevel perspective to present an integrated and dynamic view of TM and succession in FOFs.