Transgenerational Entrepreneurship in Family Business: A Case of V-Guard

Abstract

Entrepreneurial leadership is considered to be a significant factor and lead to performance and success of family businesses across multiple generations. In other words, it can distinguish between the successful family businesses from the unsuccessful ones in a long run. Considering the importance of developing entrepreneurial leaders in a family business, the term ‘Transgenerational Entrepreneurship (TE) was coined. TE refers to how family businesses nurture entrepreneurial mind sets coupled with the family influenced capabilities to create value across generations (Habbershon, Nordqvist & Zellweger, 2010). Taking cue from the concept of TE, the author presents a case of V-guard a second generation family business from Kerala a South Indian State. The organisation is promoted and managed by the Chitillappilly family. The case is aimed to present the reader a perspective to reflect transgenerational entrepreneurship in a family business with the second generation took charge. The case provides several insights on the entrepreneurship events initiated by the second generation leader reflecting the growth journey V-guard achieved since its humble beginning in the year 1977. The case is developed mainly from secondary data collected through company annual reports, newspaper articles, interviews of the second generation leader published during 2015-16.