This study aims to investigate how the overlooked dynamics of the Family Day ceremony in family businesses reflect and contribute to the role transitions of successors and predecessors in family businesses during the post-succession phase.
Combining ethnography and visual inquiry within a bricolage framework, the study applies the concepts of ceremony and play to analyse role transitions during the Family Day of an IT family business based in Hungary.
The research reveals that the Family Day plays a crucial role in the succession process by creating a “magic circle” for play behaviour, thus influencing role transition. Our findings challenge previous assumptions about the completion of leadership succession solely through formal appointments.
The findings suggest a need for family business leaders to focus beyond formal power transfer for successful succession. Family Day organizers and their implicit intentions significantly influence transition dynamics. Therefore, this study recommends careful choreographing and review of ceremonial roles, recognizing their distinct impact on leadership transition processes. Understanding the complexity of ceremonies and their role in succession can facilitate smoother transitions, aligning with both strategic interests and authentic organizational dynamics.
Challenging conventional succession models, the study widens the understanding of succession processes to include role transition, highlighting the nuanced interplay of play and ceremony within the succession dynamics.
