가족기업의 가업승계의지가 기업부패행위에 미치는 영향

초록

This study empirically examines how succession intention influences firm corruption in family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and how this relationship is conditioned by CEOs’ individual characteristics. From a family business perspective, we posit that socioemotional wealth (SEW)—the firm’s reputation as an extension of the family’s reputation—motivates CEOs to avoid corrupt practices. We further propose that this deterrent effect of succession intention is weakened for CEOs with strong entrepreneurship (risk-taking propensity) and amplified for female CEOs. To test these hypotheses, we analyze survey data from Korean SMEs. The results confirm that succession intention, as a manifestation of SEW protection motivation, significantly reduces firm corruption, and that both moderating effects operate as predicted: the high level of entrepreneurship attenuates the corruption-inhibiting effect, whereas female CEO strengthens it. By providing the first empirical evidence of how succession intention and CEO characteristics jointly shape firm corruption behavior in Korean family SMEs, this study offers novel theoretical insights into SEW dynamics and actionable recommendations for anti-corruption policy and ethical governance in SMEs.

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