<![CDATA[Background: Succession in a family enterprise is both a people decision and a governance process. The business needs capable leaders, while the family must manage expectations, ownership roles and relationships that do not exist in the same form in widely held companies. Aims: This article examines the mechanisms that connect the topic to organizational or policy performance and identifies the conditions that make those mechanisms stronger or weaker. Research Method: A structured narrative review integrates peer-reviewed research with authoritative policy, statistical, and professional sources, including Stam & van de Ven (2021); De Massis et al. (2018). Sources are coded by outcome, mechanism, boundary condition, and practical implication. Results and Conclusion: The synthesis indicates that outcomes are heterogeneous. Choosing a successor too early can narrow the talent pool, but avoiding the conversation can be even more damaging. Uncertainty about future authority affects non-family managers, investment decisions and the willingness of younger family members to prepare seriously. Six recurring themes show that implementation quality, information, capability, and institutional context frequently matter as much as the headline policy or technology. Contribution: The article offers an evidence-based framework for family-owned enterprises and their leadership teams that translates the literature into decision principles without claiming primary data that were not collected.]]>
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