Business Commons^™

Effective Strategies For Sustaining Small Retail Businesses, Eddie Dean Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners have major issues in sustaining their businesses. Small business owners who do not use successful strategies to sustain their businesses are destined to fail. Grounded by the systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies for sustaining small retail businesses beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 6 small business owners who successfully sustained their business beyond 5 years in Memphis, Tennessee. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing company documents and analyzed using Yin's 5-step process. The 4 themes that emerged from this study were: be adaptive to external …

Parents’ Perceptions Of Financial Technology To Support Financial Socialization And Literacy Levels, Patricia M. Page

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The current generation of emerging adults are ill-equipped to navigate the evolving financial landscape, which can further exacerbate socioeconomic inequality. Extant research rooted in Gudmunson and Danes’ family financial socialization theory and Brown et al.’s situated cognition theory, which served as the conceptual framework for this study, acknowledged the long-standing influence of parents and authentic learning opportunities on child(ren)’s financial literacy and well-being. This study’s research questions explored parents’ experience with, and perceptions of, a family-managed virtual bank and prepaid debit card service designed for children ages Pre-K through college. The basic qualitative approach and semistructured interviews provided context to …

Customer And Employee Social Media Comments/Feedback And Stock Purchasing Decisions Enhanced By Sentiment Analysis, Drew Mikel Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warns professional investors that sentiment analysis tools may lead to impulsive investment decision-making. This warning comes despite evidence showing that aided social sentiment investment decision tools can increase accurate investment decision-making by 18%. Using Fama's theory of efficient market hypothesis, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine whether customer Twitter comments and employee Glassdoor feedback sentiment predicted successful investing decisions measured by business stock prices. Two thousand records from 3 archival U.S. public NASDAQ 100 datasets from March 28, 2016, to June 15, 2016 (79 days) of 53 companies with …

Strategies Used By Nonprofit Social Service Business Leaders To Retain Employees, Veronica Lashal Price

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low employee retention among nonprofit social service organizations results in decreased productivity and performance. Business leaders who fail to implement employee retention strategies risk increased employee turnover resulting in the loss of economic constancy and organizational profitability. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies nonprofit social service business leaders used to increase employee retention. A purposeful sampling of 4 leaders from 4 nonprofit social service organizations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area who successfully used strategies to increase employee retention participated in this study. Data were collected from …

Coalition Sustainability After Federal Funding Is Expended: A Case Study, Shawnee Marie Seese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community coalition sustainability has been a focus of scholars as community coalitions deliver vital programs and services for communities in need. Despite the value coalitions bring to U.S. communities, they often become vulnerable after federal funding is expended. Researchers acknowledge the need to build understanding of coalition sustainability and have identified factors that contribute to the sustainability of programs, but studies on the topic remain quite limited. Federal funding requirements are more stringent than in previous years, requiring evidence of sustainability planning, which increases the urgency to identify those elements that ensure sustainability. The purpose of this study was to …

Financial Illiteracy Of Nigerian Immigrant Entrepreneurs In Houston, Adewole M. Omogunsoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial literacy is an essential determinant of entrepreneurial success as it helps entrepreneurs to access credit and make rational financial decisions. However, financial literacy remains low especially among immigrant communities, who form the bulk of the low-income earners in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the financial literacy of Nigerian immigrant entrepreneurs living in Houston, Texas, in order to sustain growth in their business by successfully using the U.S credit system. The research question for the study examined the actions Nigerian immigrant entrepreneurs in Houston need to take to be financially literate …

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Profitability Of Small, Nonprofit, Private, Higher Education Institutions In Georgia, Walter V. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small, nonprofit, private, higher education institutions (SNPHEIs) are facing economic challenges that threaten their existence. This threat represents a public policy problem because 28% of all higher education in America is delivered by SNPHEIs. The purpose of this study was to investigate any correlational relationships that may exist between the organizational culture (OC) in SNPHEIs and their financial sustainability. Based on the competing values framework, a causal relationship between OC and organizational profitability within the SNPHEI was posited. In this study, both descriptive and comparative research questions were used; they focused on the OC types identified in the competing values …

Successful Marketing Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Jasmine Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses play a significant role in the health of the U.S. economy, but 50% of small businesses close before reaching 5 years of operation. Some small business owners do not utilize effective marketing strategies to guide them towards sustainability in business. Grounded in hybrid typology, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore marketing strategies small business owners use for sustainability. The participants comprised three small business owners located in the Midwest Region of the United States, with a business in operation for at least 5 years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, public company documents, …

Emotional Intelligence, Turnover Intention, And Commitment Among Nonprofit Employees, Tabitha Brewster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover is a persistent problem contributing to financial issues and declining

productivity in nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits cannot fulfill their core missions of

providing services to people in need when managing staffing disruptions. Measuring

employee turnover intention can determine the probability of employee turnover, and a

potential predictor of turnover intention is emotional intelligence, an area unstudied in the

nonprofit sector. This study was designed to explore this relationship, in addition to the

employee's commitment to the organization. The population consisted of 273 nonprofit

employees older than 18 years, working in a nonsupervisory capacity. They completed an

online survey consisting …

Compensation Strategies That Support Commercial Banks’ Effective Risk Management Practices, Elias Kagumya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compensation structures with relatively high levels of contingent pay encouraged managers to engage in excessive risk-taking behavior at financial institutions, which contributed to the global financial crisis of 2008. The purpose of this study, guided by the theory of the firm, was to explore compensation strategies that some executives in Uganda used to support effective risk-management practices. This multiple case study was an in-depth inquiry into compensation strategies that encouraged prudent risk-taking behavior. The target population comprised 5 risk-management executives from 5 separate commercial banks who had successfully implemented compensation strategies that supported risk management practices. Data were collected through …

Leadership Strategies For Reducing Regulatory Citations To Maintain Tax-Exempt Statuses In Nonprofit Organizations, Emmanuel Kamara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Leaders of nonprofit organizations have challenging responsibilities of satisfying the

demands of all their stakeholders by obeying state and federal regulations.

Noncompliance of regulations can quickly cause a nonprofit organization to lose its tax

exempt status and become nonexistent; thus, it appears that most nonprofits are choosing

to prioritize compliance, while struggling to maintain focus on their mission and services.

Using the conceptual framework of transformational leadership and general system

theories, this case study was to explore strategies leaders of nonprofits organizations in

Pennsylvania that cater to the needs of people with disabilities use for decreasing

regulatory citations to …

The Experience Of Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In The Workplace, Josephine Laverne Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with children for many decades, but it can continue into adulthood. However, little research has focused on adults with ADHD or the specific processes through which such adults mitigate the challenges they face, especially in the workplace. The purpose of this qualitative, grounded theory study was to provide a better understanding of the strategies and support systems adults with ADHD use to overcome workplace challenges. Self-efficacy theory grounded the study, allowing for an understanding of the lived experiences of adults with ADHD in the workplace. The researcher conducted 12 semistructured interviews with adults with …

Social Connectedness And Financial Independence Strategies Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability, Christopher Edmund Maylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations (NPOs) often lack strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations beyond initial funding, resulting in significant risk to program continuity. Grounded in social entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore strategies used by 3 leaders of a small NPO in the southwest region of the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of organizational documents. Through thematic analysis, 6 social themes emerged: optimization of business strategies, income and donor growth, program cost management, funding diversification, program licensing, and public awareness of NPO programs. The contributions to …

Relationship Between Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Extrinsic Job Satisfaction, And Turnover Intentions In Luxury Hotels, Grayce Laverne James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The hotel industry makes significant contributions to U.S. economic growth, but many hotel managers have expressed concerns about high employee turnover intentions. In the context of career choices, leaders of the hotel industry in the United States face turnover intentions that are 70% higher than turnover intentions in other sectors. Grounded in Herzberg’s 2-factor theory, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic job satisfaction, extrinsic job satisfaction, and employee turnover intentions of front desk customer service employees of luxury hotels. Participants included 75 front desk customer service employees with at least 1 year …

Leadership Strategies For Improving Mergers And Acquisitions Performance, Alon Ben Jacob

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are a critical process business leaders use to increase profitability and grow their business. Still, the majority of M&As fail to deliver the expected value to the acquirers. Grounded in Sarasvathy's effectuation theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies to conduct successful M&A processes. The participants were 8 individuals from a global healthcare company who acted as the company's presidents and had experience conducting M&As. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The following themes emerged: leadership focus, value creation, …

Unfunded Stakeholder Mandates And Nonprofit Performance Impacts, Courtney Lyn Coe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small nonprofit organizations, with annual budgets of $500,000 or less, are assigned many obligations by external stakeholders while conducting their mission-related work. However, little is known about the impact of these obligations or mandates being received from their external stakeholders, which rarely have funding allocated to minimize any capacity impact they create. The purpose of this study was to learn about whether, and how, the organizational capacity of small nonprofit organizations is impacted by unfunded mandates. Applying the theoretical framework of rational choice theory, the patterns revealed by the data allow the ability to draw conclusions based upon the lived …

Internal Business Control Systems In Small Puerto Rican Retail Businesses, Belma A. Borras

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses' vulnerability to financial losses brought about by employee theft is higher than for larger organizations. Small business owners are concerned about occupational fraud, as the annual average loss from fraud for small business owners in the United States was $150,000 per incident. Grounded in the fraud triangle theory and COSO Internal Control Integrated Framework, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the degree of segregation of duties, attitude toward internal controls, and the internal control system in small gas and convenience stores in Puerto Rico. Data were collected from 129 small business …

Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover In Supermarkets, Elena Wynn Cubillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supermarkets in the United States are experiencing losses in profitability due to an increase in voluntary employee turnover. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies supermarket managers use to reduce voluntary employee turnover. Participants were 5 supermarket managers in the Southeast United States who successfully reduced voluntary employee turnover. Participants responded to 7 open-ended, semistructured interview questions. A review of company documents and peer-reviewed journals supplemented the data collection. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data and 4 themes emerged: compensation, employee recognition, organizational culture, and empowerment. The …

Aviation Maintenance Technician Decision-Making, Dominic Hemingway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aircraft accidents caused by human decision-making errors cause property loss and fatalities on a global scale in the aviation industry. Aviation repair technician decision-making perceptions influence aviation safety. The purpose of transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of aviation repair technicians related to decision-making perceptions regarding aviation safety. The central research question and sub-question focused on the lived experiences of repair technicians’ decision-making perceptions. The naturalistic decision-making framework, decision theories, and decision-making models comprised the lens to assess the impact of aviation maintenance technician decision-making perceptions in aviation safety. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 12 …

Effective Strategies Small Business Leaders Use To Address Ransomware, William Jason Tuttle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders face a wide range of cybersecurity threats. Ransomware is a specific cybersecurity threat that cybercriminals can use to deny small business leaders’ access to data in exchange for a ransom payment. Grounded in routine activity conceptual framework, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies small business leaders use to address ransomware. Data were collected from 5 leaders of small businesses in the southeast region of the United States. Data sources included interviews and archival documents. Data were analyzed using Yin’s 5 step process. The analysis revealed 3 primary themes: ransomware strategy, …

Bidding Strategies For Winning Construction Bids In South Africa, Momoh Vandi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The failure of small business managers to understand various bidding strategies leads to losing construction bids. The lack of management skills, limited access to markets, weak customer relationships, lack of appropriate technology, and government bureaucracy are problems small business managers face when preparing to bid for construction contracts. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore bidding strategies small and medium enterprise business managers use to win construction bids. The participants comprised 5 business owners of small- and medium-sized construction enterprises in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conceptual framework was the theory of constraints. Data were collected using …

Successful Balanced Scorecard Implementation Strategies For A Manufacturing Organization, Timothy J. Zorek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Up to 90% of businesses fail to execute their business strategies. Still, the effective implementation of a performance measurement system like the balanced scorecard (BSC) often leads to the implement a more successful execution of a business strategy. The purpose of this qualitative single case study sought to explore the successful strategies used by business leaders to implement a BSC effectively. Change theory was the conceptual framework for the study. Participants consisted of 3 business leaders of a manufacturing organization in Southeast Wisconsin, who successfully implemented the balanced scorecard within their business. Data were collected from face-to-face, semistructured interviews, and …

Strategies For Retaining Life Insurance Sales Agents, Jose Pablo Pescador

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The total number of life insurance sales agents has decreased from 535,000 in 1990 to 323,700 in 2014, averaging a total of 8,829 life insurance sales agents leaving the life insurance industry annually. Effective retention strategies of life insurance sales agents may provide a sustainable workforce in the life insurance industry. Guided by Ambler and Barrow’s employer branding theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies branch managers used to retain life insurance sales agents. The 6 participants in the study implemented effective retention strategies to retain life insurance sales agents within 2 life insurance …

Modern Costing Strategies For Improved Profitability In Small- And Medium-Sized Businesses, Jennifer Kelly Demoras

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) accounting managers use little to no modern costing strategies which can negatively impact profitability. Advances in technology, innovations in product design, and increases in globalization mean SMEs could benefit from modernizing their internal costing systems. This study is important to SME accounting managers because of offering new information and practical methods that SMEs might use for improved profitability. Grounded in the contingency theory of management accounting, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the modern costing strategies SME accounting managers used to improve profitability. Seven SME owners, CFOs, and administrators who …

E-Business Training Strategies For Profitability In Small And Midsize Enterprises, Papa Faal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

E-business skills are an essential part of the global market, yet many small and mid-size enterprise leaders lack the necessary training to become competitive. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore e-business training strategies small and mid-size enterprise leaders use to increase profitability. The participants comprised 5 small and mid-size enterprise leaders in a metropolitan area in the Gambia who have increased profitability using e-business tools and training strategies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents. Thematic and content analysis were used to analyze the data. Three themes …

Working Capital Management Strategies To Increase Bank Profitability, Khalid Makki Said

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than 50% of business failures in the United States are because of business leaders’ inability to manage working capital. Some bank leaders lack strategies to improve working capital management. Grounded in the cash conversion cycle theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies bank leaders used to improve working capital management. The participants consisted of 3 managers from 3 different U.S. banks in Kentucky, who successfully implemented working capital management strategies to increase bank profitability. The data collection process included semistructured interviews and company documents provided by the participants. Data were analyzed using …

Succession Planning Strategies For Retiring Employees In The Department Of Defense, Danielle Mccullough

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2017, more than 18% of the workforce in the Department of Defense (DoD) was eligible to retire. Employee retirement continues to present a persistent shortage of DoD knowledge workers, especially in security protections. The purpose of this qualitative single case study within a DoD intelligence agency was to explore succession planning strategies that DoD managers use to ensure knowledge possessed by retirees was transitioned to incumbent knowledge workers. The conceptual frameworks for this study were the 7-pointed star model for succession planning and the 4 pillars of knowledge management. The population was DoD managers from STEM and cyber intelligence …

Corporate Trainers’ Intent To Adjust Training Programs For Fostering Employee Self-Efficacy, Peter Cronrath

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To stay current on technology trends, trainers are tasked with providing cost-effective training to meet the needs of the organization. It is not known if to develop employee self-efficacy, organizational trainers should consider making changes to their programs in accordance with (a) generational needs of employees, (b) methodology of training, and (c) position levels of employees in an organization. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to determine whether there is a correlation between organizational training professionals’ intent to make changes to training programs and if self-efficacy development is considered in generationally different individuals at different position levels …

Strategies To Reduce Small Business Data Security Breaches, Sikini Knight

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations affected by data security breaches may experience reputational damage and remediation costs. Understanding the data security strategies needed to protect small businesses is vital to safeguard company data and protect consumers’ personal information. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to reduce data security breaches. The participants were 4 small business owners located in the southern region of the United States: 2 franchise small business owners and 2 nonfranchise small business owners. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents. Yin’s 5-step data analysis …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …