Students Intention and Motivation to Join Family Business as a Career Choice After Mba

The study explores the intentions and motivations of Master of Business Administration students when considering their family business as a career choice. Utilizing a  qualitative research methodology, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with MBA students and evaluated using reflexive thematic analysis via NVivo software. The findings reveal that while emotional ties, parental expectations, and a sense of duty  strongly pull students toward the family enterprise, these factors frequently conflict with  personal ambitions for independent career growth and autonomy. Furthermore, the study  found that MBA education does not inherently encourage immediate succession; instead, it  broadens career horizons, prompting a preference for a “hybrid” career approach were  graduates seek external professional experience before stepping into family leadership roles. The attractiveness of the family firm is heavily dependent on modernization. Businesses that  embrace digital technologies and professional management are highly appealing, whereas  traditional, rigid structures, gender biases, and market uncertainties act as significant barriers  to entry. The study concludes that to secure next-generation talent, family firms must balance  tradition with innovation, establish clear succession planning, and support hybrid career  trajectories.