Legacy is preserved and passed down from generation to generation. The literature highlights both positive aspects of legacy, such as guidance for the dominant coalition, as well as limiting aspects, including constrained change processes. Surprisingly, research has so far mainly focused on the process of continuation of legacy over generations. However, despite its significance, research on legacy dynamics, particularly how legacies are shaped or altered across generations, remains limited. This study addresses this gap by exploring how family firm owner-managers engage with legacy. Based on semi-structured interviews and supplementary materials from six family firms, we find that owner-managers not only preserve inherited traditions but also actively shape and transform them. We identify three distinct strategies to engage with legacy—upholding, reinterpreting, and renewing—that owner-managers use to navigate their legacies. Furthermore, owner-managers strategically leverage contemporary business challenges, particularly sustainability transitions, as rational justification to mark their distinct contributions to family business. Our preliminary findings advance the literature by conceptualizing legacy as a dynamic construct and identifying strategies that prioritize noneconomic family goals. Additionally, this study underscores the role of sustainability transition being a crucial contemporary strategic challenge to understand how family firms manage the tension between preserving tradition and embracing change.
