Women in family business succession: a systematic literature review and future research agenda

Although CEO succession literature has witnessed a momentous evolution in the last few decades, research on female succession remains fragmented and limited. This comprehensive study aims to overview the existing knowledge on women in family firm succession. We systematically reviewed 62 papers published in 28 academic peer-reviewed journals from 1990 to 2022 in Scopus database. To begin with, we highlighted theoretical lenses, methodological approaches, and geographical focus investigated in this field. Later, through content analysis, we classified and structured the articles under investigation into four major thematic clusters: (1) Factors influencing women’s succession, (2) Female succession process, (3) Women’s roles in the business transfer, and (4) Female’s identity and legitimacy construction. Beyond that, we provided a comprehensive structured view (thematic map) of the state-of-the-art, including three levels (antecedents, process, and outcomes), to guide next-generation researchers. Finally, we revealed scientific voids in the current literature on female succession and offered prominent insights for future research in this field.