The process of transferring knowledge between Founder and Successor

What is it about?

This paper explores the factors which influence the transfer of knowledge between the founder and successor in Vietnamese family businesses. The paper reviews the factors which have been identified as important in the transfer of knowledge in family businesses and builds on these by developing a model contextualized for the Vietnamese family business context. This model identifies the influence of factors, some of which are not commonly presented in western family business literature, but which were important in the collectivist and transition economy dynamics of Vietnam. These include the importance of the role of the mother in mediating the relationship quality between the founder and the successor, and the successor pursuing education and external work experience to improve their cognitive and reflective abilities. The need for affinity between family members is also highlighted as important.

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Why is it important?

In Vietnam, most family-run businesses are still under the control of the founder. This research provides insight into the succession process in Vietnam. This addresses calls for further exploration into the factors that influence the transfer of knowledge in the family business succession process and for research into this process in a collectivist society.