Communication and Succession Planning In Family-Owned Businesses in Malawi: The Role of Intergenerational Communication, Successor Readiness and Family Dynamics

Succession planning is critical to the continuity of family-owned businesses (FOBs), yet many family enterprises struggle to transfer leadership successfully from one generation to another. Recent evidence indicates that succession in Sub-Saharan African family businesses is influenced by family dynamics, gender inclusiveness, resource availability, governance arrangements and the preparedness of potential successors (Owusu-Acheampong et al., 2024; Khosa, 2024). Communication is particularly important because succession requires incumbents, successors and other family stakeholders to exchange information, negotiate expectations and establish agreements concerning leadership and ownership (Bugeja, 2024; Thwala, 2024). This study examines the influence of communication on succession planning in family-owned businesses in Malawi, with particular attention to intergenerational communication, successor readiness, education, willingness to succeed and family conflict. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, involving a sample collected from 120 participants drawn from family-owned businesses in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu. The quantitative component comprised 100 respondents, while 20 participants were included in qualitative interviews. The findings indicate positive relationships between effective communication, successor readiness and succession planning, while intergenerational conflict was negatively associated with succession effectiveness. The study concludes that communication should be institutionalized through family meetings, mentoring, written succession policies, transparent successor-selection criteria and professional advisory support.

Keywords: family-owned businesses, succession planning, communication, successor readiness, intergenerational conflict, Malawi, family business governance.