Executive Succession in the Corporate Organization: A Current Integration

This inquiry focuses on the corporate president. Variables are integrated that juxtapose such successor attributes as promotional origin (successor type), leadership behavior of key administrators (successor style), and degree of need satisfaction received on the job (successor needs). These characteristics are viewed in relationship to time in office (tenure) of predecessors and successors and to composition, size and changes in board of directors and executive staff of the president. Studies pertaining to the predecessor explore processes before succession, whereas research concerning the successor uncovers processes after leadership transfer. Patterns and rates of multiple successions are investigated. Several optimizing techniques are suggested for modeling administrative succession.