A Case Study on the Conflict Between an Incumbent CEO and a Successor

Abstract

Family businesses play a significant role in the overall economy of all countries, and the importance and weight of family businesses are increasing in various fields. Many factors are essential for a family business to grow into a long-lived business, that is, a sustainable business, but the most important one is succession. TRUST Lab at Hanyang University studied the importance of factors influencing the succession of the family business from the standpoint of the successor. As a result, it was confirmed that mutual trust is the most crucial factor, and conflict can destroy that trust. Therefore, in this study, we research conflict as a central topic for successful succession, which is the most fundamental reason for family businesses. This study was conducted as a qualitative research case study. By setting criteria suitable for the purpose of the study, we conducted interviews with ten successors who either worked or planned to work in a family-related company. Through this study, conflict management of key players is the most important to achieve a continuous succession of family businesses.