Culture change | Rupert Murdoch's succession - what do you do when the boss leaves?

Everybody knows the name Rupert Murdoch, and if you don’t, there’s almost every chance you regularly consume information from the media platforms he once led.

Earlier this month, the Australian-born American business tycoon announced he would be stepping down from his role as chairman of News Corp and Fox News (The Times, The Sun, The Wall Street Journal etc) handing the role over to his eldest son.

Whether you support the publications that Murdoch led or not, it cannot be denied that his organisations will feel the impact of this shift in power. News Corp’s CEO, Robert Thomson, continues to remain in this position. But the influence Murdoch had in the business as chairman and owner, building the company over a seven-decade reign, means that his leadership and insight is a part of the fabric of the firm, making it harder to find a replacement figure so easily. So, what should HR do when the boss leaves?

Succession plan

The new hit TV show Succession is loosely based on the Murdoch family and a supposed power struggle to replace the retiring patriarch of the family. It’s unclear whether this struggle actually occurred, but a replacement for the chairman role, in the form of his son, is taking place.