The effects of leader succession and prior leader experience on postsuccession organizational performance

Desai, Malay N.; Lockett, Andy; Paton, David

Abstract

In this article we strive to reconcile equivocal findings about the effects of top leader succession and prior leadership experience on postsuccession organizational performance. In doing so, we draw on insights from theories of human capital, learning, and asymmetric information to better understand the conditions under which leaders increase or decrease postsuccession performance. Employing a sample of 119 newly appointed leaders in the English Premier League (1996–2010), we find the following results. First, relating to the succession event, outside leaders that directly move between leadership positions are associated with higher postsuccession performance while the departure of a prior leader to a leadership position in another organization has a negative effect on postsuccession performance. Second, relating to prior leadership experience, leaders with domestic top leader experience are associated with lower postsuccession performance, while leaders with foreign top leader experience are associated with higher postsuccession performance.

Citation

Desai, M. N., Lockett, A., & Paton, D. (2016). The effects of leader succession and prior leader experience on postsuccession organizational performance. Human Resource Management, 55(6), 967-984. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21700

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 19, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Mar 19, 2015
• Publication Date: Dec 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 26, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 26, 2018
• Journal: Human Resource Management
• Print ISSN: 0090-4848
• Electronic ISSN: 1099-050X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 967-984
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21700
• Keywords: leadership, recruitment, human capital
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/971486
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hrm.21700
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Desai, M. N., Lockett, A. and Paton, D. (2016), The Effects of Leader Succession and Prior Leader Experience on Postsuccession Organizational Performance. Hum Resour Manage, 55: 967-984, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21700. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
• Contract Date: Mar 26, 2018