Examining Succession Planning Practices in Nonprofit Organizations with a Lens on Internal Successors
Date of Award
Spring 2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Committee Chair
Kathy Richie
Committee Member
Tim Reymann
Committee Member
Dail Fields
Abstract
The exodus of tenured leaders in nonprofit organizations facing retirement creates an opportunity for new and emerging leaders to fill the executive leadership seat. This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored succession planning practices in nonprofit human service organizations focusing on executive leadership development of potential internal successors. The intention was to bring to the attention of executive leadership in nonprofit human service organizations the need to prioritize succession planning by preparing internal emerging leaders to ensure leadership continuity. Eleven chief executive officers from a national disability organization with chapter member organizations across the United States were interviewed for the study. Narrative inquiry allowed individual career experiences and personal perceptions of succession planning preparedness and staff development from the participants in their voice. The theoretical framework that guided the study was based on Barney’s (1991) Resource-Based Theory. Data was collected through transcriptions and researcher notes and analyzed through a thematic analysis process involving examining the collected data, assigning codes, developing themes, and reporting findings. Two significant findings from the participant interviews were: (1) Although few organizations sampled have a succession plan, succession planning is perceived as an essential part of organizational strategic planning, and (2) Participants sampled emphasized that leadership development is necessary to prepare future leaders. The study suggests practical implications for implementing a leadership continuity plan that benefits nonprofit human service organizations and their emerging leaders.
Recommended Citation
Hyatt, Maryann, "Examining Succession Planning Practices in Nonprofit Organizations with a Lens on Internal Successors" (2025). All Doctoral Student Dissertations. 213.
https://fuse.franklin.edu/docpub/213
