Transgenerational Entrepreneurship of the Family Businesses: Is it in the Blood or Not?

Objective: This paper aims to understand the transgenerational entrepreneurship process in family businesses.Method: This study was based on a qualitative research using three focus groups.Originality/Relevance: Aspects related to the intergenerational entrepreneurship in the context of family businesses have drawn the attention of researchers who focus both on family businesses and entrepreneurship. Therefore, it is relevant to analyze how entrepreneurship occurs across generations in order to overcome the simplification of research on entrepreneurship in the context of family business.Results: This study allowed understanding the similarities and differences of transgenerational entrepreneurship in family businesses regarding five topics: relevance of the founder, challenges, governance, and influence of the heirs who are not involved in managing the family businesses.Theoretical/methodological contributions: The study presents propositions with the aim to integrate entrepreneurship in the context of family businesses while highlighting the role of founders, heirs, their challenges and governance practices.