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A power perspective on knowledge transfer in internal succession of small family businesses

Version 2 2024-06-13, 11:24
Version 1 2018-01-31, 14:22
journal contribution
posted on 2024-06-13, 11:24 authored by B Muskat, A Zehrer
The aim of this paper is to apply a power perspective to knowledge transfer in internal succession processes of small family businesses. We argue that knowledge is a source of power. Distilling existing literature on small family businesses, knowledge transfer and power theory, we focus on the role of owner-manager and successor in internal succession. Propositions are formulated, theorizing the influence of (1) expert power, (2) decision-making power, (3) trust, (4) rivalry, and (5) capabilities. First, we conclude, familiness and high levels of trust in small family businesses influence power relationships between successor and predecessor positively. Second, the existence of high power imbalances within familiness can slow progress in knowledge transfer in succession, and particularly negatively impact on tacit knowledge transfer from one generation to the next.

History

Journal

Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship

Volume

29

Pagination

333-350

Location

Philadelphia, Pa.

ISSN

0827-6331

eISSN

2169-2610

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal, C Journal article

Copyright notice

2017, Journal of the Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship/Conseil de la PME et de l’entrepreneuriat

Issue

5

Publisher

Routledge