Chapter 9: Offspring Intentions to Join the Family Business: Does Culture Make a Difference?

Even though the concept of culture has been the subject of systematic study, it has not thus far been utilized widely within the context of offspring intentions to join the family business. In this study, we explore the possibility that offspring from 2 different cultures, specifically Greece and the Unite States, may be motivated by different reasons to join their family’s business. We find that all offspring, regardless of culture, are motivated by business/mar- ket factors. In addition, Greek male offspring are motivated by family factors while Greek female offspring are motivated by family and personal ones. These results raise issues about the universal applicability of offspring intentions to join the family firm as they relate to both culture and gender.