Succession in Family Handicraft Businesses in Interaction with the Tourism Industry (Dezful County as a Case Study)

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Authors

1 Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Faculty of Tourism, Higher Education Complex of Bam, Bam, Iran.

2 Department of Tourism Management and Economics, Faculty of Tourism, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22069/jead.2026.24488.1950

Abstract

Family handicraft businesses, despite their undeniable role in preserving cultural heritage, creating employment, and linking with tourism, face the risk of decline and obsolescence due to the lack of systematic succession planning programs. However, limited research has addressed the factors influencing succession in this sector. Aiming to fill this gap, the present study sought to identify, hierarchically structure, and determine the positions of key factors influencing the development of family handicraft businesses based on a succession approach in Dezful County. This study employed a mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 24 experts and practitioners in the handicraft sector in Dezful County; thematic analysis was then used to extract 10 key factors. In the quantitative phase, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis were applied. The findings revealed that “technical skill assessment” and “managerial and motivational skill assessment” acts as independent, root driving factors that provide the basis for developing capable successors and guide other factors. “Technical and managerial training,” “participation in operational and strategic decision-making,” and “performance and quality evaluation” play intermediary and linking roles, while “market development” and “product and service innovation” were identified as dependent factors, and “consolidation of position and independent growth” was recognized as the most dependent factor and the final output of the system. Systematic implementation of this framework can preserve the authenticity and traditional skills of handicrafts, ensure successful intergenerational transfer, and contribute to the sustainable socio-economic development of rural and underprivileged areas.

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Journal of Studies in Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Agricultural Development

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 April 2026

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