A university level educational offer for the 'Y'generation successors of Polish family firms-background

Family businesses play a crucial role in the Polish economy, making up around 36% of the entire SME sector. The development of family companies has been connected to various dilemma, concerning, among others, their continuity and succession. In Polish family-owned businesses, there has appeared a long-expected moment of handing over power to the upcoming generations, i.e. to the so-called Y generation that is now pursuing their university studies. The author of the article has presented the characteristics of ‘Y’ generation successors, with a special emphasis on their distinctive features, as well as backing statistical data. The main core of the paper includes a proposal of a university programme for future managers of family companies. The programme, consisting of 5 modules, revolves mainly around the specific and complex character of the succession process, information policy within the said process, developing managing successors’ managerial skills, with a particular emphasis on their enhancement, as well as informing about the organisational culture of family businesses and the formal and legal conditions of successions.