Anticipatory Socialization in Family Businesses: (Co-)Constructions of Career and Choice Among Successors.

In this study, we applied Jablin?s (1985, 1987, 2001) factors influencing vocational anticipatory socialization (VAS) and organizational anticipatory socialization (OAS) and applied them to the context of potential successors? socialization into working in their family?s business as a career choice. Semi-structured interviews with 31 post-first generation successors found that the successors were simultaneously influenced by a multitude of factors with the most salient among them being a combination of one?s family, part-time employment in the business, and realistic job and organizational expectations. There was a strong overlap of VAS and OAS factors in the work socialization of young successors leading to their eventual decision to choose a career in their family business. Directions for future research are discussed. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]