Drawing on the theoretical lens of imprinting research, this study posits that the extent of post-succession top management team (TMT) membership dynamics is influenced by the similarities between the incumbent TMT and the founding TMT, referred to as “imprint-team fit.” This study further hypothesizes that the outside CEO’s work experiences shape their propensities to conform to firm norms and traditions, thereby moderating the relationship between imprint-team fit and post-succession TMT membership dynamics. To test these hypotheses, I collected data on 355 outside CEO successions that occurred between 2010 and 2018 in a sample of publicly traded firms in China. My findings suggest that the greater similarity between the incumbent TMT and the founding TMT in terms of functional background composition, the less likely substantial personnel changes will occur after outside successions. This relationship is stronger when the outside CEO’s career profile is less diverse, and when they have a functional background in accounting/legal domains or a political background.
