The Influence of Leader Legacy Beliefs on Intergenerational Decision-Making

Abstract

This grounded theory study aimed to explore the perceptions or thinking of legacy held by organizational leaders and how legacy thinking shaped their decisions and life experiences. Using the theory of planned behavior, the authors analyzed 52 semi-structured interviews with leaders to build an understanding of their perspectives on legacy. A framework emerged from the data that can help understand the process through which life experiences shaped legacy thinking and the values of legacy thinking held by participants. Our findings offer insights that can help develop leaders focused on the organization’s sustainability past their tenure.