Beyond the founder. which conditions can favor or hinder the professionalization of family firms?

This chapter analyzes the experience of two family businesses that carried out a succession process and undertook a process of professionalization with opposite results. In one case, the founder gave great impetus to the professionalization process, to favor business development and growth. The successor replicated the same approach and emphasized the involvement of external professionals and the implementation of management control systems, to ensure the longevity and the viability of the family firm. In the other case, the founder was always reluctant toward professionalization and, as a result, centralized decision making and control. The successor tried to promote the professionalization of the firm, but she was not able to achieve this goal, leading the company into decline after the founder’s exit. The comparison between the two case studies allowed us to highlight some factors that led to a positive or negative outcome of the process of professionalization.