Much of the family
business literature focuses on successions which are planned and prepared in
advance, in collaboration with the predecessor and the next generation to take
over. Very often unexpected things happen, such as illness or sudden death, and
the family business needs to be transferred to the next generation without
planning or the presence of the predecessor. The authors have conducted case studies
of three family businesses in Finland that experienced premature and unplanned
succession due to the death of the owner, CEO, father, and husband. They
explore how families and family businesses cope with such a situation, which is
seldom studied due to its delicate nature. Their study contributes by bringing
new insights about decision making during premature and unplanned succession
and argues that even painful emotions such as grief can be a resource in the
interconnectedness between family and the business, particularly when
coinciding with pragmatic decisions. The study also suggests that daughters who
are not considered as potential successors by their fathers may end up taking
over the family business due to a lack of other options.