The meanings of succession in a family business: an analysis from Bourdieu’s conatus concept

Abstract

Succession is one of the most studied topics in family business research. However, most of the research focuses on exploring the instrumental, objective dimension of these processes, paying little attention to the subjective, emotional, and affective aspects of the family dimension. This motivated the construction of this research, which associates family businesses theory with the theoretical-methodological approach of Pierre Bourdieu. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to understand the meanings that the heirs of a family organizational group attribute to the conatus. This refers to a family cultivated project that should be perpetuated for future generations. The results show the reproduction of the conatus, as some individuals struggle for conservation and others for the transformation of the family project. These disputes generate instability for the organizational group and uncertainty to its future, which puts into perspective the relevance of the conatus concept for comprehending the dynamics of succession in family businesses.

Keywords

• empresa familiar
• sucessão
• sucessor
• conatus
• bourdieu