Intent of the next generation of family members: ‘Hard keep’em down on the family farm’

Will the next generation of family members be willing to enter an existing family business or start one of their own? This question would seem to have received some attention in the literature over the last two decades, but what has made those studies come into question in the last five years? The emergence of the next generation of adolescents who will be making their own decisions, whether to join their family’s business are to start a new family business themselves. This study examines the issue of willingness to enter into a family business or start a new business of next generation members. In addition, the study includes some cross cultural dimension in that, the studywas conducted in Australia amongst a culturally diverse set of students in aprivate university (many of which came from family owned and operatedbusinesses).