When considering the succession process in family businesses, it is often useful to inquire into the relationships among all members of the successor generation: sons, daughters, and their spouses. Do members of the successor generation show evidence of autonomy and individuation, healthy sibling bonds, and acceptance of talent and leadership from within their generation? Do unresolved rivalries and dependency on parents paralyze their ability to cooperate? Using a Bowenian family systems approach, three important dimensions of differentiation in the successor generation are discussed. Several case vignettes illustrate the value of an assessment intervention.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bank, S. P., and Kahn, M. D.“Intense Sibling Loyalties.” In M. E. Lamb and B. Sutton-Smith (eds.), Sibling Relationships: Their Nature and Significance Across the Life Span. Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum, 1982a.
2.
Bank, S. P., and Kahn, M. D.The Sibling Bond. New York: Basic Books, 1982b.
3.
Bowen, M.“Theory in the Practice of Psychotherapy.” In P. J. Guerin, Jr. (ed.), Family Therapy: Theory and Practice. New York: Gardner Press, 1976.
4.
Bowen, M.Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. New York: Jason Aronson, 1978.
5.
Carroll, R.“Siblings and the Family Business.” In M. D. Kahn and K. G. Lewis (eds.), Siblings in Therapy—Life Span and Clinical Issues. New York: Norton, 1988.
6.
Drozdow, N.“Revenues and Relationships: Consulting That Links Business Strategy to Family Process.” Presentation to the Family Firm Institute Conference, Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 1, 81990.
7.
Dunn, J.Sisters and Brothers. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1985.
8.
Dunn, J., and Plomin, R.Separate Lives: Why Siblings Are so Different. New York: Basic Books, 1990.
9.
Friedman, S. D.“Sibling Relationships and Intergenerational Succession in Family Firms.”Family Business Review, 1991, 4 (1), 3–20.
10.
Kahn, M. D.“Sibling Relationships in Later Life.”Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality, 1983, 17(12), 94–103.
11.
Kahn, M. D.“The Sibling System: Bonds of Intensity, Loyalty, and Endurance.” In M. A. Karpel (ed.), Family Resources: The Hidden Partner in Family Therapy. New York: Guilford Press, 1986.
12.
Kerr, M. E.“Family Systems Theory and Therapy.” In A. S. Gurman and D. P. Kniskern (eds.), Handbook of Family Therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1981.
13.
Schön, D. A.The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
14.
Swogger, G., Jr., Johnson, E., and Post, J.“Issues of Retirement from Leadership in a Family Business.”Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 1988, 52, 150–157.
15.
Zaleznik, A.“Power and Politics in Organizational Life.” In M. F. Kets de Vries (ed.), The Irrational Executive: Psychoanalytic Explorations in Management. New York: International Universities Press, 1984.
