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The purpose of this study is to examine the intergenerational influence across dyads of mothers and daughters from the USA and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), with a particular interest in discovering the cross-national differences in terms of the level of mother–daughter brand preference agreement, the directional influence from daughter to mother and leading factors for the observed differences.

Using a parallel survey method, responses were obtained regarding participants’ brand preferences, as well as their perceptions of their dyad partners’ preferences, for 20 product categories. A total of 76 dyads in the USA and 114 dyads in the PRC were collected.

Results not only confirmed the existence of intergenerational influence in mother–daughter dyads’ brand preferences after removing the nominal bias that previous studies commonly suffered but also suggested two interesting cross-national differences. Specifically, the authors find that US mother–daughter dyads possess a higher level of brand preference agreement than their PRC counterparts; however, the influence from daughters to mothers in the PRC is greater than in the USA. The authors further find that two potential leading factors contribute to the observed cross-national differences; mother–daughter communication is stronger but less influential in the USA than in the PRC, while children’s peer influence, measured as information influence of peers, is weaker but more influential in the USA than in the PRC.

Understanding intergeneration influences in different cultural contexts may be applicable in developing communication strategies leading to brand preference.

This study contributes to the consumer socialization literature by examining the cross-national differences of intergenerational influence in brand preferences and their leading causes of such differences in the context of the two biggest economies.

This paper aims to explore the pertinent issues, barriers and pitfalls of intergenerational communication in business families during their leadership succession period.

Building on relational leadership theory, the paper makes use of an action research approach using a qualitative single case study to investigate communication barriers and pitfalls in business transition.

Through action research, interventions were taken in the underlying case, which increased the consciousness, as well as the personal and social competencies of the business family. Thus, business families stuck in ambivalent entanglement understand their underlying motives and needs within the change process, get into closer contact with their emotional barriers and communication hindrances, which is a prerequisite for any change, and break the succession iceberg phenomenon.

Future research should undertake multiple case studies to validate and/or modify the qualitative methods used in this action research to increase the validity and generalizability of the findings.

Given the large number of business families in transition, our study shows the beneficial effects action research might have on business families’ communication behavior along a change process. The findings might help other business families to understand the value of action research for such underlying challenges and decrease communication barriers.

This is one of the few studies to have addressed intergenerational communication of business families using an action research approach.

We review previous research on intergenerational conflict, focusing on the practical implications of this research for organizational leaders. We explain how the interaction between the interpersonal and intertemporal dimensions of intergenerational decisions creates the unique psychology of intergenerational decision-making behavior. In addition, we review the boundary conditions that have characterized much of the previous research in this area, and we examine the potential effects of loosening these constraints. Our proposals for future research include examination of the effect of intra-generational decision making on intergenerational beneficence, consideration of the role of third parties and linkage issues, investigation of the effects of intergenerational communications and negotiation when generations can interact, examination of the role of social power in influencing intergenerational interactions, investigation of the interaction between temporal construal and immortality striving, and exploration of the ways in which present decision makers detect and define the intergenerational dilemmas in their social environments.

Little is known about when younger employees’ intergenerational knowledge transfer (IGKT) – behaviors of acquiring knowledge from older employees – improves their innovative work behaviors (IWB), especially in hospitals. Taking into consideration the moderating roles of individual absorptive capacity (AC) and organization size, this study aims to develop a theoretical model to account for the associations of both online and offline IGKT with younger employees’ IWB.

The model was tested with a survey of 202 Chinese younger doctors (40 years old and below). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data.

The results showed that both online IGKT and offline IGKT have significant positive relationships with younger doctors’ IWB. Individual AC can strengthen the relationship between offline IGKT and IWB, and organization size can weaken the relationship. However, both individual AC and organization size do not significantly moderate the relationship between online IGKT and IWB.

The findings extend the understanding and application of individual-level knowledge-based view and media synchronicity theory by exploring the relationship of knowledge acquisition from older doctors through both online and offline communication channels with younger doctors’ IWB.

The purpose of this paper is to study and understand the older generation’s attitude toward use of technology for workplace communications.

In-depth interviews were conducted with the older generation employees of an Indian Oil and Gas Public Sector Undertakings. Data gathered from the interviews were then analyzed to draw broad themes.

Although the older generation is aware of the importance of technology and has adequate knowledge of its use, they are reluctant to use it. The reluctance is not on account of techno-phobia; it is more in the nature of approach-avoidance.

Organizations and human resource managers should focus on addressing the mental block of the older generation regarding the use of technology.

Reverse mentoring and formation of cross-generational teams can be used to alter older generation’s selective mindset in relation to technology.

This paper discusses the role of technology in intergenerational communication in the Indian context.

This chapter introduces a new tool, termed the Communication Agreement, for enhancing communication in the library workplace. The chapter defines the communication agreement, provides discussion questions for forming a communication agreement, provides examples of how communication agreements are beneficial to a diverse library workforce, and provides strategies to informally assess communication agreements’ effectiveness. Communication problems in diverse library workplaces can lead to, or exacerbate, conflict between employees. Generational, cross-cultural, gender, and other differences can lead to misunderstandings and conflict between employees. The communication agreement provides library managers with a tool to bridge differences in communication styles between employees, enable employees to engage in more effective communication, assist employees in developing better understandings and respect for colleagues of different backgrounds, and raise employees’ emotional intelligences. Numerous resources and publications provide generalized approaches to communicating with others in a heterogeneous workplace or team, but the communication agreement provides a new approach for developing effective communication between people in a diverse library workplace. The chapter lays out informal assessment strategies for the communication agreement, but formal assessment methods and metrics still need to be developed.

Family businesses require internal communication (IC) to guide and provide direction, and the unique nature of involving both family and nonfamily employees add complexity. Navigating this complexity helps to ensure effective direction and management of family businesses. This paper explores the existing research concerning IC within family businesses and discusses the lenses and contexts through which it is commonly studied.

This paper provides a concise literature review to identify the most common lenses through which IC in family business has been researched.

IC in family enterprises is mostly studied through the lenses of IC between family generations, IC and the influence on family identity, and IC in times of crises. Existing research is largely focused on the role of family in IC, and limited consideration is given to the role of nonfamily members and family members outside of the business.

The paper synthesizes the direction and findings of existing research into IC within family business and provides avenues for future research. Managerial implications are also presented based on the synthesis of existing literature.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how intergenerational communication between predecessors and successors impacts on the entrepreneurial family and the family business, and aims at developing a typology of communication patterns in family business succession.

Based on grounded theory methodology, ten in-depth narrative family interviews with predecessors and successors were conducted, transcribed and analyzed. The qualitative data analysis followed a hermeneutic approach focusing on in situ language phenomena such as positioning, syntax, semantics and interaction patterns.

The reconstruction of the interviewees’ subjective realities resulted in a theoretical concept with four communication types, varying between continuity and change, and between relatedness and autonomy. Given the fact that succession is not a single event but a long-lasting process, the typology can be transferred into a dynamic model for succession comprising three consecutive stages: intergenerational transmission, independent acquisition and finally interdependent development of the family firm heritage.

First, the results are based upon a small sample size (n=10) that should not be generalized to the population of family businesses at large. Hence, to complete the overall picture, a broader survey among family-run firms by means of an extended qualitative or even a quantitative survey would be most valuable to generate more objective data. Another shortcoming is that the authors only investigated intra-family succession and challenges. No attention was paid to the various opportunities of external succession of family businesses, such as management buyout, management buy in, external management or liquidation.

Understanding the sociological and psychological aspects of communication helps family firms to identify characteristics in communication during their succession process. First, the knowledge that various communication types are highly dependent upon the personal interactions among the parties involved, might be an asset for family firms which are handing over their company in the future. Second, knowledge on different communication types might raise awareness for and prevent from conflicts and emotional relationships during the firm succession and thus function as a strategic advantage.

Following a sustainable and responsible strategy, family firms can be regarded as the pillars of our economy. Yet, they can be compared to an endangered species often not surviving the transfer from one generation to the next. Succession seems to be a delicate stage in a company’s lifecycle, the failure of which threatens thousands of jobs every year. When it comes to the survival rate of family firms, the increase of communicative and reflexive competence as it is addressed by this paper, is one of the key factors helping the family to deal with conflicts and thus strengthen their self-efficacy.

The dynamic succession model presented in this paper gives experts a comprehensive insight into the inner logic of entrepreneurial families reconstructed by their communicative patterns. Understanding the different dimensions of succession lays the foundation for consulting and supporting family members in transition processes helping them to cope with intergenerational ambivalences and find solutions that are both beneficial for the individuals as well as for the business.