Empirical analysis of the socio-psychological portrait of the successor in family entrepreneurship (in Russian)

Abstract

In conditions where 74% of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia are family enterprises, the problem of continuity is of particular relevance. However, in Russian science, there are practically no works that study the socio-psychological characteristics of potential successors. Purpose. The purpose of the work was to identify the specifics of the psychological characteristics of the successors of the family business (FB), expressing their readiness to continue the family business. Method. The empirical base included 230 successors of the FB and 728 students from families not related to entrepreneurship. A set of methods was used: “Big Five Inventory-2” by C. Soto, “Career Anchors” by E. Schein, “Scale of Monetary Attitudes” by T. and B. Klonz, “Scale of Family Cohesion and Adaptation” by D. Olson. Findings. Empirical research has shown that successors who want to continue the FB are distinguished by more pronounced extroversion, conscientiousness, creativity, entrepreneurial orientation, “instrumental” attitude to money, and their families have a high level of cohesion and emotional connection. Successors who do not want to continue the FB are distinguished by an increased level of neuroticism and an attitude towards money as a status symbol. In addition, the specifics of the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions and socio-psychological characteristics were revealed: for the successors of FB, this is the relationship with  family relations; for young people from families who are not entrepreneurs have career orientations. This result showed that the FB is a collective subject of joint life, the basis of which is the construction of cohesive family relations in joint labor activity, due to which group identity and a sense of “We” are formed. Value of results. The study contributes to the implementation of state programs for the development of entrepreneurship and can be used to develop educational programs for the training of successors of the FB.