ABSTRACT
For several centuries, the word succession has been used to refer to the process by which one religious or political leader replaces another. Anticipatory succession is evidenced not only through the "pinch-hitting" role but also through the preparatory "coaching" of subordinates and through the informal delegation of tasks by the immediate supervisor. Moreover, the obvious fact that bureaucratic positions are hierarchically connected points up the artificiality of studying top positions apart from lower-level types. The chapter discusses the implications of a broader conception of bureaucratic succession. It examines anticipatory succession from the vantage point of middle-level supervisors. The chapter argues that anticipatory succession decisively influences styles of supervision—and consequently affects the opportunities of subordinates. It views succession from the perspective of subordinates with the aim of showing how their differential opportunities pressure them to behave differently. The chapter considers succession from the viewpoint of management and discusses some devices for dealing with obstructed channels of mobility.
