Strategic Succession Planning and Organizational Resilience in Sustainable Family Enterprises: a Capability-based Perspective
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Strategic succession planning is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of the long-term sustainability of family enterprises. However, extant literature has largely examined succession as a leadership replacement or governance process, with limited attention to the organizational mechanisms through which it contributes to sustainable enterprise development. This conceptual paper develops a capability-based framework that explicates how strategic succession planning enhances organizational resilience and ultimately, sustainable family enterprise development. This study adopts a narrative literature review and theory synthesis approach, drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT) and contemporary literature on family business succession, organizational resilience, governance and sustainability. Through conceptual integration of extant literature, this paper develops a framework in which formal succession planning and systematic successor identification strengthen organizational resilience by preserving strategic knowledge, institutionalizing governance and improving organizational adaptability. This framework advances succession planning beyond its classical role as a leadership replacement mechanism by positioning it as a strategic capability that enables family enterprises to preserve valuable organizational resources while continuously renewing capabilities required to navigate environmental uncertainty and intergenerational transitions. This study contributes to family businesses and strategic management literatures by integrating RBV and DCT into a unified capability-based explanation of succession planning and by identifying organizational resilience as the critical mechanism linking succession planning to long-term sustainability. This paper concludes by offering theoretical propositions to guide future empirical research and practical insights for family business owners, boards of directors, managers, and policymakers seeking to strengthen governance, organizational resilience, and sustainable enterprise development. Keywords: Strategic succession planning; Family enterprises; Organizational resilience; Sustainable enterprise development; Dynamic capability theory; Resource- Based View; Family business governance.
DOI: 10.67199/04ak7987
Authors: NSEMO DAVID, EKPENYONG BASSEY OBO
Institution: University of Calabar
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225393234