Intra-family succession is the transfer of management, leadership and/or control of the business from one family member to another, and has been a core topic in family business research (Debicki, Matherne, Kellermanns, and Chrisman, 2009). Family firm researchers have suggested that family firms have a strong desire toward economic and non-economic goals (Kotlar and De Massis, 2013). However, how these goals fit into the strategic management decision of intra-family succession has not been explored by researchers (Chrisman, Kellermanns, Chan, and Liano, 2010). The purpose of this study is to identify and explain the importance of the goals that small private family firms expect to achieve through intra-family succession that cannot be achieved through non-family succession as “success in strategic management, including the management of intra-family succession, must be measured in terms of goal achievement” (De Massis, Sharma, Chua, and Chrisman, 2012, p. 30). To examine why intra-family succession goals (IFSGs) are important, this study relies on the psychological personality constructs of generativity (concern for guiding and establishing the next generation) and narcissism (an individual’s self-assurance, self-esteem and satisfaction with oneself). The respondents of this study are those family members who make up the dominant coalition (founders, incumbents, and potential successors) of the family firm. Only those firms where the family has the ability to influence firm behavior, and the intention (willingness) for intra-family succession, are included in this study. Qualitative data was collected to identify IFSGs, and these IFSGs are used in the development of the structured questionnaire. Fourteen IFSGs were identified from the qualitative phase of the study. The data collected from the structured questionnaire was subject to various statistical methods. The results suggest that the dominant coalition of small private family firms considered each IFSG as important, and that generativity and narcissism partially explain why these goals are important. The findings suggest that gender and the individual’s role within the dominant coalition influence the hypothesized relationship between IFSGs and generativity, and the IFSG of legacy and narcissism. This research provides several analytical, methodological and theoretical contributions and paves the way for further theoretical and empirical enquiry into intra-family succession of small private family firms.

No description available.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / Background: Over the past decade, the influx of Zimbabweans into the Diaspora heightened after the dismal failure of the Land Reform Policy saga, resulting in a political, social and economic crisis. South Africa being the first and ranked highest destination for Zimbabwean immigrants became a second home to these immigrants, however, little is known about their legacy beliefs. This study was guided by the theory of typology for legacy beliefs and generativity, which is the seventh stage of Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. Aim: The aim of this research was to explore and describe the perceptions of Zimbabwean immigrants regarding their legacy beliefs while living in South Africa. Two main objectives identified were: (i) To explore and describe Zimbabwean immigrants’ perceptions and their understanding regarding legacy beliefs. (ii) To explore and describe the factors influencing the Zimbabwean immigrants’ legacy beliefs. Methods: A social constructivism paradigm that embraced explorative and descriptive qualitative research designs was utilised to answer the research question: How do Zimbabwean immigrants perceive legacy beliefs while living in Cape Town, South Africa? Fifteen participants were purposively selected and they participated in the unstructured individual interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data collected was thematically analysed utilising Creswell's (2009) six steps of data analysis and the process was trustworthiness, as the researcher adhered to credibility, transferability, conformability, and dependability. Ethical approval was sought from HSSREC and the principles of confidentiality, self-determination, no harm, and beneficence were ensured. Four main themes emerged: Understanding of legacy beliefs; Categories of legacies shared in families; Re-emerging legacies in families and Challenges in preserving family legacy beliefs. Conclusion: Based on the research findings recommendations were made to immigrant parents, social service professionals and governmental institutions on how to alleviate the challenges that come with being an immigrant and trying to preserve one's legacy beliefs.

No description available.

Background. This study investigates the ways in which former offenders tell their life stories and integrate explanations for their previous criminal activity and desistance from crime into their personal narratives. It addresses an important gap in the desistance literature by including non-offenders as a comparison group. The specific aims of this study were to explore the similarities and differences in the personal narratives of desisters and non-offenders and to investigate the presence of generativity, agency and communion themes as well as the use of redemption sequences and contamination sequences in the life stories of both groups. Methods. Respondents were identified through snowball sampling and targeted advertising (e.g., an organization that provides services to ex-offenders). Two groups were interviewed: men who had committed multiple crimes after turning 21 years old but were crime-free for the past year (desisting ex-offenders) and men who grew up in similar neighborhoods but reported no involvement in crime as adults (non-offenders). The final sample consisted of 19 desisters and 12 non-offenders; groups were matched on age and other background characteristics. Data collection included a life story interview and a set of open-ended questions about the respondent's juvenile offending and adult criminal history. Participants also completed two standardized instruments to assess generative concern and generative behavior: the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS) and the Generative Behavior Checklist (GBC). Analyses identified themes through open coding, examined the structure of life narratives, and applied pre-established coding schemes for agency, communion and generativity themes and redemption and contamination sequences. Results. Overall, the life stories of desisters and non-offenders were remarkably similar, even if they contained dramatically different content and reflected unique personal experiences. Respondents in both groups tended to craft narratives where they drew from earlier life experiences to identify reoccurring themes that helped to explain the trajectory of their lives and express deeply held beliefs about who they are as people. Desisters and non-offenders also were very similar in their use of redemption sequences and agency, communion and generativity themes. On the two generativity surveys, the desisting group reported levels of generative concern and generative behavior that were, at the very least, equivalent to average people their own age. While almost all desisting respondents reported some kind of cognitive transformation, the degree to which they saw themselves as changing and how they described that change differed depending on the type of offenses committed. Two types of desistance narratives were identified. The hustler desistance narrative was used by former drug dealers. These men believed that they were involved in drug sales primarily for economic gain and could replace this source of income with legal pursuits. They did not view their past illegal activities as inconsistent with who they were as people. In contrast, the “real me” narrative was used by respondents who had perpetrated acts of violence. They argued that they were innately good people. Conclusions. Overall, the study’s findings were consistent with previous research results that supported the “cognitive transformation and identity” view of desistance, which emphasizes behavioral change as resulting primarily from internal rather than external sources. Previous offending patterns played an influential role in how ex-offenders viewed their past criminal activity, the ways in which they decided to change their lives, and their understanding of the desistance process. Involvement in peer-based programming, mutual support groups and mentoring relationships, whether they were institutionalized, volunteer-oriented, or self-initiated, were identified as major life changing experiences by many desisting ex-offenders. These activities also played a key role in shaping personal narratives and self-concepts in important ways that helped to sustain desistance over time. / Criminal Justice

Yes

La ricerca prende avvio dalla constatazione, in concomitanza della crisi, dell'emersione in Europa e in altri paesi occidentali, di un nuovo campo di riflessioni teoriche e di sperimentazioni pratiche che con grande vivacità si impone rapidamente da periferia a mainstream anche grazie al supporto politico-istituzionale. Esso domanda un nuovo tipo di innovazione in grado di riconnettere sfera economica e sfera sociale. E' la Social Innovation. All'interno di questo quadro di grande fermento, lo studio intercetta e analizza 48 forme organizzative selezionate nei settori dell'economia, della società civile, delle policies istituzionali che stanno già sperimentando questo riavvicinamento tra economico e sociale per comprenderne le logiche e le dinamiche. A tal fine si fa ricorso al concetto di generatività sociale. La categoria eriksoniana di generatività, qui applicata alle sfere sociale e organizzativa, viene interpretata quale azione innovativa di una nuova articolazione della vita sociale e dei processi di produzione del valore. Emerge un peculiare profilo organizzativo - l'organizzazione generativa - produttrice di shared value, di cui lo studio tratteggia strategie, valori e visioni, aprendo nuove prospettive teoriche, di ricerca e di intervento. / This research moves from the acknowledgment that, along with the 2008 crisis, Europe and other western countries saw the emergence of a new field for theoretical reflections and empirical experimentations, which is rapidly moving from the periphery to the mainstream also thanks to institutional political support. This field requires a new conceptualization of “innovation” as able to reconnect economic and social sphere: i.e. as “Social Innovation”. Within this broad framework, the present study analyses 48 organizational forms selected from the fields of business, civil society and policies, which are already experimenting this rapprochement among the economic and social spheres. The objective of the present dissertation is to understand the logics and dynamics of these phenomena; to this end, the concept of “Social Generativity” is employed. The Eriksonian category of “generativity” is here applied to the social and organizational spheres, and is interpreted as an innovative action towards a new re-articulation of social life and of the processes of value production. The study delineates a specific organizational profile - that of the “generative organization” producing shared value - and illustrates its strategies, values and visions, thus opening new direction for theory, research, and action.

<p>In this dissertation, I develop and test a theory linking the legacy motive to entrepreneurship. After examining evidence in support of the desire to make a lasting impact as a source of motivation for the founders of new organizations, I propose that the importance of this motive has been overlooked, due to a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the legacy construct. I argue that examining the relationship between entrepreneurship and the legacy motive contributes greatly to understanding of both phenomena. I develop a theory of entrepreneurial legacies, in which I explain how understanding the connection between the legacy motive and entrepreneurship requires recognizing the variety of lasting impacts different people can choose to pursue. I then examine the implications of the different desired legacies for the entrepreneurs and their organizations, particularly for critical funding decisions at the beginning of the new venture, and for decisions related to succession, when the organization needs to replace the founder. Next, I conducted two studies to examine the effects of the legacy motive on entrepreneurial decision making. In the first study, I tested the relative strength of the legacy motive among firm founders and those who work for others. I developed new measures of the intended benefits and beneficiaries of a legacy, to examine their relationship to each other and related variables using an online sample of engineers. I found that engineers high on the legacy motive are more likely to indicate founding the firm they currently work for, own more of their current employer, and have filed more patents. In the second study, I conducted a qualitative examination of medical startups, examining the processes that led executives in these firms to the current stage of their careers, and the elements of their work lives that they experience as meaningful. Finally, I discuss the implications of the link between the entrepreneurship and the legacy motive, and the different ways in which people define what makes these two constructs meaningful.</p> / Dissertation

O envelhecimento é um processo que ocorre ao longo da vida e que compreende transformações biopsicossociais. Atualmente, parte da humanidade vem vivenciando o aumento da expectativa de vida. O desafio do século XXI tem sido de rever e reinventar trajetórias pessoais. A forma de construir esse envelhecer se diferencia de acordo com a cultura, o grupo social e, especialmente, o gênero. Atualmente, são poucos os estudos brasileiros envolvendo variáveis socioculturais do envelhecimento masculino, especialmente as simbólicas. Assim, forem conduzidos dois estudos de casos, envolvendo a temática envelhecimento masculino e aparência. Os objetivos dos estudos foram: 1) Caracterizar a construção e os significados da aparência na experiência de participação de homens idosos vencedores do concurso Mister IPGG 2017; Investigar a relevância da participação no concurso na percepção dos vencedores da edição 2017. Os estudos são de natureza exploratória e descritiva, inspirado no método etnográfico em termos da coleta, tratamento e análise de dados. Uso de observação livre e participante, conversas informais e registro fotográficos e entrevistas em profundidade, técnicas conduzidas com o apoio de roteiro semiestruturado. Participaram cinco idosos vencedores do concurso Mister IPGG 2017. As idades variavam em torno de 76 anos; médias e baixas escolaridade e renda; e moradores da zona leste da cidade de São Paulo. Ambos os estudos foram conduzidos no Instituto Paulista de Geriatria e Gerontologia (IPGG), situado na mesma região de residencia dos participantes. Constatou-se que a prática do investimento na aparência acontece ao longo de toda a vida, se intensificando por ocasião da participação no concurso. São realizadas ações autônomas e planejadas voltadas ao corpo, atitude e indumentária. A construção da aparência está relacionada às noções de elegância, tradição e dignidade. A relevância da participação no concurso é o exercício da geratividade, a noção de deixar um legado, não apenas para as futuras gerações, mas também para seus pares de gênero etários. Os estudos sugerem que ações institucionais em torno da promoção da construção da aparência e seus significados se mostraram positivas para o envelhecimento social masculino, oportunizando a promoção do bem-estar dos participantes / Aging is a lifelong process that includes biopsychosocial transformations. Nowadays, part of humanity has been experiencing an increase in life expectancy. The challenge of the twenty-first century has been to review and reinvent personal trajectories. The way to build this aging differs according to culture, social group, and especially gender. Currently, there are few Brazilian studies involving socio-cultural variables of male aging, especially symbolic. Thus, two case studies were conducted, involving the theme of male aging and appearance. The objectives of the studies were: 1) To characterize the construction and the meanings of the appearance in the experience of old men, winners of the contest Mister IPGG 2017; 2) Investigate the relevance of participation in the contest in the perception of the winners of the 2017 edition. The studies are exploratory and descriptive in nature, inspired by the ethnographic method in terms of data collection, treatment and analysis. Use of free observation and informal conversations, photographic record and in depth interview, techniques conducted with the support of semi-structured script. Participants were five elderly winners of the Mister IPGG 2017 competition. The ages varied around 76 years; medium and low schooling and income; retirees; and, residents of the eastern zone of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Both studies were conducted at the Instituto Paulista de Geriatria e Gerontologia (Paulista Institute of Geriatrics, IPGG), located in the same area of residence of the participants. It was verified that the practice of the investment in the appearance happens throughout the whole life, being intensified when in participation at the contest. Autonomous and planned actions for the body, attitude and clothing are made in the contest. The construction of appearance is related to the notions of elegance, tradition and dignity. The relevance of participation in the contest is the exercise of generability, the notion of leaving a legacy, not only for future generations, but also for their gender and age peers. The studies suggest that institutional actions around the promotion of the construction of the appearance and its meanings have shown to be positive for the masculine social involvement, opportuning the promotion of the well-being of the participants

The purpose of this study was to understand the life history of a female teacher by examining her beliefs about leaving a teaching legacy and by analyzing the narratives of four educational leaders as they reflect on the generative behaviors of this teacher. The research questions guiding this study were: (a) What elements of this teacher's life history contributed to creating a legacy of educational leaders? (b) What are the perspectives of the educational leaders impacted by this teacher as they relate to crafting an educational legacy? (c) How do the life stories of the teacher and educational leaders intersect to reveal narrative resonance - the ability of stories to interact in such a way that they influence other stories? A review of relevant literature examined legacy creation or generativity. In addition, this study critiqued scholarship that extends narrative research approaches, specifically, fictional research texts. Since fictional research products can be catalysts for reflection and discussion, the final chapter of this study is presented as a fictionalized research-narrative that emerged from analysis of the data. The data in this study included interview texts, participant artwork, reflections from the participant's journal, excerpts from the researcher's journal, and poetry written both by the participant and the researcher. The data were analyzed by using open and focused coding, employing the constant comparison process, and through artifact analysis. The data analysis of this qualitative study resulted in specific findings. First, the main participant demonstrated generative traits contributing to a legacy of educational leaders. Her compassion for all students, her passion for teaching/learning, her content knowledge, and her flexibility in the classroom all manifested themselves in the lives of the educational leaders participating in this study. Additionally, the narratives from the participant demonstrated narrative resonance, Stories, it seems, have their own legacies.