Insights from Canadian Case Studies on Succession and Knowledge Transfer in Family Firms

Abstract

This study investigated firstly whether the family business succession process differs from non-family business succession, secondly the nature of knowledge transfer and specifically about the nature of tacit and explicit knowledge transfer between the founder and successors and thirdly the impact of the degree and nature of trust between the founder and successor is considered along with the issue of whether the level of perceived trust differs depending on the length of the relationship between the firm founder and successor. Finally the impact of the successor’s gender on the tacit knowledge transfer process is noted. The contribution of this research to the founders of family business, their successors and their advisors are highlighted, the study’s limitations and directions for future research are noted.