Experience discrepancy in leadership succession: Does it matter? Evidence from the Elite European Soccer Clubs (1994–2015)

• Published date: 01 July 2018
• Date: 01 July 2018
• Author: Pierre‐Xavier Meschi,Emmanuel Metais,Frédéric Lassalle
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2212

RESEARCH ARTICLE

DOI: 10.1002/jsc.2212

Strategic Change. 2018;27(4):403–416. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jsc © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 403

Abstract

$he leel o= rroCle similarity between the new leader and the =ormer one maers and will a@ect

subsequent strategic change and thus rer=ormance. n ecess o= erloraঞon as well as an ecess

o= erloitaঞon are detrimental to =uture rer=ormance. When rerlacin] a leader, owners should

tahe into consideraঞon the rroCle and ererience dissimilariঞes between the rredecessor and

the successor.

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ssessin] the imract o= leadershir turnoer on rer=ormance has a

lon] tradiঞon in leadershir research. It has led to si]niCcant Cndin]s

and a =ar beer understandin] o= such transiঞon situaঞons. oweer,

the Cndin]s remain inconsistent and hi]hly moderated by contet

ariables, such as the successorĽs ori]ins and characterisঞcs, eniron-

mental condiঞons, and recent rer=ormance (uyl, oone, endrihs, &

ahyssens, 2010; hen & limoshi, 2003; hun] & Luo, 2013;

inhelstein & ambrich, 1ƖƖ6; araeli, 2007; ielsen & ielsen,

2013; Shen & annella, 2002; ,han] & !aja]oralan, 2004). $o resole

these mied Cndin]s, some scholars hae su]]ested that rer=ormance

outcomes =ollowin] a succession are essenঞally determined by the

strategic changes imrlemented by the successors. araeli and ,ajac

(2013) thus erlore the condiঞons under which outsiderness will ]en-

erate strategic changes and ,han] and !aja]oralan (2010) Cnd that

the impact of outsiderness on postsuccession performance follows an

inerted &-shaped relaঞonship. lthou]h fruiul, this raঞonale has

only been applied to outsiderness.

In this arঞcle, we su]]est that, beyond outsiderness, eperience

discrepancy between a successor and his/her predecessor can also

a@ect postsuccession strategic changes and performance outcomes.

While past research has ]reatly enhanced our hnowled]e of succes-

sion eents, somewhat surprisin]ly, it has tahen lile account of the

di@erences in eperience between a successor and his/her prede-

cessor, and the impact on postsuccession chan]e and performance.

reious studies hae o[en eamined the impact of a predeces-

sor’s or a successor’s experience, but separately. In other words, the

impact of the experience discrepancy between a new O’s experi-

ence and their predecessor’s experience has not been inesঞ]ated

to date. While a leader’s succession can be considered as an ľinerঞa

breaherĿ ( ui]ley & ambrich, 2012), the extent to which a leader is

replaced by another leader with analo]ous experience, or by a leader

with dissimilar experience may lead to ery di@erent strate]ic deci-

sions, chan]e situaঞons, and consequently performance outcomes

(o, 1ƖƖ8). While a successor’s characterisঞcs are criঞcal, they need

to be compared to those of the predecessor to assess the level of

chan]e that he/she mi]ht potenঞally introduce in the or]aniaঞon

(fe@er & Davis-lahe, 1Ɩ86). $he level of chan]e that a ]iven suc-

cessor will iniঞate in the or]aniaঞon mi]ht di@er dependin] on his/

her predecessor’s characterisঞcs. In heepin] with the predicঞons of

&pper chelon $heory (&$), if they have similar proCles, the de]ree

of subsequent or]aniaঞonal chan]e may be limited; conversely, if

they have dissimilar proCles, the de]ree of subsequent chan]e may

be very hi]h (ambrich & ason, 1Ɩ84). &lঞmately, the quesঞon

is how experience discrepancy between a new leader and his/her

Experience discrepancy in leadership succession:

oes it laerĵ Eidence =rol the Elite European

"occer lubs ŐƐƖƖ4ŋƑ0ƐƔőŖ

Frédéric Lassalle1Պ|ՊierreŊ*aier eschiƑՊ|ՊEllanuel etais3

1 I Dijon (&niversity of ur]undy), !O

 7317, Dijon, rance

2 I ix-en-rovence (&niversity of ix-

arseille), !  422Ɣ & Shema

usiness School, Sophia-nঞpolis, rance

3 D usiness School, !oubaix, rance

orrespondence

r࣐d࣐ric Lassalle, I Dijon (&niversity of

ur]undy), 2 oulevard abriel,  26611,

21066 DIJO edex, rance.

mail: rederic.lassalleŠu-bour]o]ne.fr

* JL classiCcaঞon code: L2Ɣ

Strategic Change. 2018;27(4):403–416. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jsc © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 403