Navigating family succession in a turbulent context: the case of Circuit Empire in Lebanon

Lebanon, recognised as a turbulent context, presents significant challenges for family business succession that have received limited scholarly attention. This study examines the narrative of a prominent century-old Lebanese family business through a single-case approach. It contributes to understanding family business succession by: 1) offering insights into the Lebanese context; 2) providing empirical evidence on succession dynamics; 3) focusing on successors’ commitment. The findings expand Labaki’s (2014) ‘dual commitment’ model by incorporating individual commitment to heirs concerning career choice intentions. Entrepreneurial freedom and a warrior’s mindset emerge as strong drivers of founding intent. Unexpectedly, the study also underscores the need to address heirs’ potential for ‘deviant behaviour’ as a critical factor for successful succession