CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.0 Chapter Overview - DSpace@UM

products/services, and retention of quality employees. These findings could assist HRpractitioners/experts/consultants to convince organization to implement formalsuccession planning in their organizations. In addition, the findings of this research couldalso assist them to understand better the practice and importance effective successionplanning.The results of the study also have important implications on the relationship betweensuccession planning characteristics, demographic variables and organizationaloutcomes/performance. Basically, the study has confirmed that a positive and significantrelationship exists between succession planning characteristics and organizationaloutcomes. Furthermore, certain demographic variables used in the study have shownsignificant relationship with the two main variables: succession planning characteristicsand organizational outcomes. Previous studies have shown significant relationshipbetween the degree of sophistication in succession planning and HR outcomes but do notshow any potential relationship with some demographic variables like firm size (no. ofemployees), firm age, industrial sector, and investor nationality (Huang, 2001).Finally, the findings of this research have many potential implications for future researchi.e. which pertain to both the methodology employed in collecting and analyzing the data,and to the substantive findings of the research effort.96