Studying the family business succession process in Bahrain (a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC), will lead to better understanding of the continuity of these businesses, where family businesses represent 30% of the economies in the GCC Countries.
The study will explore the process of succession through qualitative analysis of a selected sample of family businesses in Bahrain (which is a very similar environment to the other five GCC countries); and aims to find the factors contributing to the continuity of these businesses, in order to assess the need for family business governance laws to enhance a sustainable succession process in Bahrain.
Intensive interviews were held with four male and four female representatives to explore the main factors contributing to continuity of their businesses. The research has chosen to examine four main variables directly related to family business: legacy, gender role, succession plans, and the need for family business governance in Bahrain.
Recently, family business succession has become a concern of the business leaders and decision makers of the country and the region. The study will try to give an in- depth view of family business from its representatives and is considered a pilot study for more expanded research on family businesses.