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Full-Text Articles in Business

The Impact Of A Project Management Approach On Micro-Businesses In Achieving Strategic Goals, Karen M. Lowe May 2024

The Impact Of A Project Management Approach On Micro-Businesses In Achieving Strategic Goals, Karen M. Lowe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This flexible case study delves into the challenges micro-businesses in Ontario face, where the informal nature of operations and unique goal-setting processes are seen as obstacles to achieving strategic goals. Despite project management being proven to improve business success, many micro-businesses do not engage in formal processes. The research, employing a flexible case study methodology involving 15 micro-business founders in Ontario, explores the approaches used, differences in outcomes when goals are achieved versus not, and the role of project management in mitigating potential business failure. Analysis reveals five key themes, including lack of defined strategic goals, the unintentional use of …


The Impact Of Strategic Planning In Small Business: Empirical Evidence From East Tennessee, Sara Howe Jun 2022

The Impact Of Strategic Planning In Small Business: Empirical Evidence From East Tennessee, Sara Howe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study explored the impact of strategic planning in small businesses within the service industry, specifically in East Tennessee. The focus was to gauge the level of importance small businesses placed on strategic planning, if any. The general problem to be addressed was the level of importance small businesses place on strategic planning that could affect organizational problems such as high turnover, low job satisfaction, poor engagement and performance, financial uncertainty, customer dissatisfaction, tarnished company reputation, and company closure. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to enhance the body of knowledge through magnifying the explanations behind …


Factors Influencing Small Construction Businesses From Implementing Information Security: A Case Study, Carl Andrew Mayes Feb 2021

Factors Influencing Small Construction Businesses From Implementing Information Security: A Case Study, Carl Andrew Mayes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study described the influence of small businesses’ failure to properly implement information security technologies resulting in the loss of sensitive and proprietary business information. A collective case study approach was used to determine the most effective way to gain a holistic picture of how small construction businesses make security technology implementation decisions to support their workforce. The theory guiding this study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model which is related to the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Technology Acceptance Model which helped explain the intentions of individuals to use information systems. …


Using Social Media To Enhance Customer Service: A Study Of Independent Day Spas In Phoenix, Arizona, Krista Fabrick Oct 2020

Using Social Media To Enhance Customer Service: A Study Of Independent Day Spas In Phoenix, Arizona, Krista Fabrick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Social media customer service is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses, and many small businesses struggle in this area. This qualitative study explored how independent day spas use Facebook and Instagram for customer service and their effectiveness on these platforms. The participants included ten small, independent days spas in the Phoenix, Arizona, areas with ten or fewer employees, have less than $1,500,000 in annual revenue, and have a presence on Facebook and Instagram. Four common themes arose from this research. First, day spa owners/managers generally have at least a basic knowledge of Facebook and Instagram. Second, owners/managers are typically the ones …


Social Crm Applications And Impact In Small Businesses, Levi Bridge May 2017

Social Crm Applications And Impact In Small Businesses, Levi Bridge

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study explored the effect social customer relationship management (CRM) on. Small businesses typically have limited resources and thus use an informal CRM system causing them to not realize the full sales potential or customer engagement that could occur. The qualitative study consisted of 10 small businesses that utilize social media to engage with customers. The agency theory and resource based view served as the theoretical foundation for the study. One-on-one interviews were conducted with the employee responsible for managing the social media content. From the interviews, three themes emerged that are critical for social CRM success: visibility, interactivity, …


A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Perceived Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment In Small Business Employees In The Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, Tammy Brown May 2017

A Quantitative Examination Of The Relationship Between Perceived Job Satisfaction And Organizational Commitment In Small Business Employees In The Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, Tammy Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has an average turnover that exceeds the national and regional average. Organizational turnover unfavorably influences productivity and has the potential to adversely affect, not only the Lynchburg MSA, but also the regional, state, and national economy. This quantitative non-experimental, correlational research examined the relationship between perceived job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the Lynchburg MSA. The results of this research supports earlier research and demonstrated a statistically significant positive relationship existed between perceived job satisfaction and organizational commitment in small business employees in the Lynchburg MSA. The results may serve as beneficial to small …