Unpacking the role of identity in family business succession: A systematic literature review and integrative framework

Identity has emerged as a prominent lens in family business research, particularly in understanding the psychological, relational, and organisational complexities of intergenerational succession. Despite its growing importance, research on identity in family business succession remains conceptually fragmented and theoretically inconsistent. Drawing on a systematic literature review, we develop an integrative framework that clarifies how identity shapes succession processes and outcomes. By taking an identity perspective, we synthesise motives, processes, contents, and outcomes across individual, relational, and collective levels, and reconceptualise succession as a multilevel process of identity evolution. By positioning identity as the central mechanism through which families make sense of continuity and change, we offer a unified lens that connects psychological and organisational perspectives to explain how families sustain who they are across generations. The proposed framework delineates the structural contours of the field, defines core constructs and their interrelationships, and outlines a forward-looking research agenda for future research.