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Articles 31 - 60 of 76
Full-Text Articles in Business
Sustainability Strategies Of Barber Salons, Kouassi Gilles Mevo
Sustainability Strategies Of Barber Salons, Kouassi Gilles Mevo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many barber salons and other small businesses in the United States fail to succeed beyond the first 5 years. The factors responsible for the low survival rate of salons may include the limited training and education levels mandated by state certification requirements. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify business strategies successful barber salon owners use to overcome the business management and staffing challenges associated with a small pool of skilled barbers and the high turnover in a low wage profession. The theory of transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework. The data collection included interviews of …
Small Business Sustainability Strategies In The Tanzanian Construction Materials Industry, Seraphia Robert Mgembe
Small Business Sustainability Strategies In The Tanzanian Construction Materials Industry, Seraphia Robert Mgembe
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small business owners in the construction materials industry play a significant role in economic development through gross domestic product and employment. However, like other small business owners, many owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry close their businesses within 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study grounded in the resource-based theory was to explore the strategies that owners of small businesses in the construction materials industry operating in Tanzania used to sustain business for longer than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 4 purposefully selected owners of small businesses in the construction materials …
Business Sustainability Strategies Of Small Technology Companies, Eric Smith
Business Sustainability Strategies Of Small Technology Companies, Eric Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Each year, almost 12% of small technology companies fail to survive, and the risks associated with high-tech startups are high for business failure due to the introduction of new technology, similar competitor technology, and the short product life cycle of new products. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the business sustainability strategies that some owners of small technology companies used to remain in operation for longer than 5 years. The population for the study was the owners of 5 small technology companies located in the southeast region of the United States. The general systems theory was …
The Role Of Motivation In Financing Women-Owned Businesses, Severine C. Bryan
The Role Of Motivation In Financing Women-Owned Businesses, Severine C. Bryan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Women-owned small businesses contribute significantly to the U.S. economy, accounting for 55% of all new ventures; however, women entrepreneurs receive only 2% in external financing. The growth of small businesses is contingent on business owners receiving adequate financing. Business leaders should consider how obstacles, such as lack of motivation, impede the pursuit of external financing. Grounded in Vroom's expectancy theory of motivation, the purpose of this correlational study was to analyze the relationships among valence, instrumentality, expectancy, and the desire to seek business financing. The study included women small business owners in the United States. Data were collected from a …
Customer Relationship Management In The E-Retailing Environment, Nikki R. Hicks
Customer Relationship Management In The E-Retailing Environment, Nikki R. Hicks
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small business enterprise (SBE) managers often lack resources, expertise, and impact when selling in an online environment. SBEs can overcome increased competition by adopting customer relationship management (CRM) into their business model for survival and longevity. Using the conceptual framework technology, organization, environment (TOE), this multiple case study explored effective marketing strategies that small store retail managers use to successfully sell apparel and accessories in online markets. The study population included leaders from independent small online retail enterprises with brick-and-mortar stores located in the Central, Tri-Cities, or Southside areas in Virginia. The data collection process included semistructured, on-site interviews of …
Strategies That Small Business Leaders Use To Motivate Millennial Employees, James Alvaro Nilo
Strategies That Small Business Leaders Use To Motivate Millennial Employees, James Alvaro Nilo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Millennial workers occupy the majority of employment positions worldwide, which is a concern to business leaders in the United States related to having knowledge and ability to train, motivate, and retain millennial employees. Using Gilbert's behavior engineering model as a conceptual framework, this multiple case study explored the strategies that business leaders used to motivate their millennial employees. The study population included 4 leaders of small restaurant businesses in eastern North Carolina. Data were collected from semistructured, face-to-face interviews using 7 open-ended questions and review of company documents, websites, and social media. Data were coded and analyzed following Morse's method …
Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Obtaining Public Procurement Contract Awards, Asha Mcglashan
Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Obtaining Public Procurement Contract Awards, Asha Mcglashan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The dominance of federal and state contracts by large enterprises reduces the share of contracts small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) business leaders obtain. As of the last census reading in 2016, SMEs received only 23% of contracts. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies of 3 small business leaders, operating in south Florida, for obtaining state contracts through public procurement. The thematic findings were in the context of the principal-agent theory as the conceptual framework. The participants answered 10 questions in semistructured interviews and provided organizational procurement documents for review. The methodological triangulation of multiple …
Effective Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses In Rural Areas, Nicole A. Dobson
Effective Strategies To Sustain Small Businesses In Rural Areas, Nicole A. Dobson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Compared to their urban counterparts rural small businesses face unique socio-economic and environmental challenges including isolation, lack of resources, poverty, limited networks, and a smaller population of working age adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore effective strategies that rural small business managers have used to sustain a business in their area. The population for this study included a purposeful selection of 8 rural small businesses. Institutional theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data was collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews of participants. The data was analyzed and coded by using a modified Van …
Social Media Marketing Strategies In Landscape Industry Small Businesses, Crystal Victoria Lupo
Social Media Marketing Strategies In Landscape Industry Small Businesses, Crystal Victoria Lupo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Almost 50% of small businesses close within 5 years in part because of inadequate marketing strategies. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore how landscape industry small business owners have successfully used social media marketing to help ensure business viability. The population for this study was landscape industry small business owners in central Alabama, who have been successful in using social media marketing. The conceptual framework for the study included adoption theory to understand the successful implementation of social media as a marketing tool, and social exchange theory to explain how social behavior results from the exchange …
Small Business Marketing Strategies For Physical Therapy Practice Owners, Matthew Lane Daugherty
Small Business Marketing Strategies For Physical Therapy Practice Owners, Matthew Lane Daugherty
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The United States economy depends on small businesses, which represent 99% of all businesses in the United States, yet approximately 50% of small businesses cease operations in the first 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies used by owners of small businesses to develop and maintain their organization through the initial 5 years of business operation. The population included 5 physical therapy business owners in northeastern Florida who had sustained their business for a minimum of 5 years. The conceptual framework for this study was the brand equity model, and data were …
Social Media Marketing Strategies Used By Small Retail Businesses, Rochelle Shivon Jordan
Social Media Marketing Strategies Used By Small Retail Businesses, Rochelle Shivon Jordan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Developing effective social media marketing (SMM) strategies to engage customers is a challenge for business leaders. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the SMM strategies used by small business retailers to engage customers. The conceptual framework for this study was Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory. Participants included 5 small business retailers who had been in business for at least 5 years, used effective SMM strategies to engage customers, and were located in the southwest region of the United States. Data were collected through semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Data analysis resulted in 3 emergent themes: (a) marketing strategies …
Strategic Working Capital Sourcing Strategies For The Survival Of Small Businesses, Gregory Smith
Strategic Working Capital Sourcing Strategies For The Survival Of Small Businesses, Gregory Smith
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Fifty percent of small businesses fail before attaining their 5-year anniversary. The lack of sufficient working capital is one of the major reasons for small business failure. Pecking order theory was employed as the conceptual framework for this multiple case study to explore the working capital sourcing strategies of 6 purposely selected successful small business owners in the Southeast region of the United States used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data sources included semistructured interviews and company documents. Data analysis included thematic coding of the material using statistical software. The modified Van Kaam method was used to analyze …
Sustainability Strategies For Successful Small Businesses, Barbara Stovall
Sustainability Strategies For Successful Small Businesses, Barbara Stovall
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small businesses struggle to survive for longer than 5 years because owners lack knowledge of strategies to sustain financial capital. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small business owners used to maintain financial capital to ensure survivability for longer than 5 years. The sample included 3 successful service- related small business owners located in the southeastern United States. Systems theory and the theory of entrepreneurship provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data collection involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews and a review of company websites and organizational documents. Member checking enhanced the credibility of the findings. …
Employee Retention Strategies In Trinidadian Small Enterprises, Alicia Singh
Employee Retention Strategies In Trinidadian Small Enterprises, Alicia Singh
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Organizational leaders face obstacles stemming from the lack of employee retention. An ineffective retention strategy can result in the loss of employees and the loss of institutional knowledge. Lack of appropriate retention strategies can negatively impact the reputation of the organization and ultimately affect the financial standing of an organization. Grounded by Herzberg's 2-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small retail business managers in Trinidad used to retain employees. I collected data through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 small business managers and a review of company documents. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, …
Successful Strategies For The Survival Of Business Owners In Nigeria, Ayodeji Akinso
Successful Strategies For The Survival Of Business Owners In Nigeria, Ayodeji Akinso
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small businesses remain the engine of growth in an economy such as Nigeria's economy. The objective of this study was to explore the high failure rate of small businesses during the first 5 years of business activities in Nigeria. The research design for this study was a multiple case study. The targeted population was small-scale entrepreneurs from 3 facilities in the soybean processing industries in Ibadan, Nigeria. The cognitive theory was the conceptual framework for the study. The data collection process was semistructured in-person interviews of 3 successful soy processing business owners. The data analysis process was conducted following the …
Strategies For Used Car Dealership Owners To Sustain Business In A Competitive Environment, Jude Thaddeus Suh
Strategies For Used Car Dealership Owners To Sustain Business In A Competitive Environment, Jude Thaddeus Suh
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small used car dealership ventures experience high business failures in the marketplace. Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used car dealership owners and managers employ to remain profitable and sustain operations for longer than 5 years. In this study, 10 participants, including 5 owners and 5 managers from small used car dealerships in Colorado participated in face-to-face semistructured interviews. These participants have developed successful strategies to remain profitable for at least 5 years. Using methodological triangulation, field notes and documentary evidence supplemented the data collected through semistructured interviews. …
Marketing Strategies: How Small Restaurant Businesses Use Social Media, Tasheenia Bennett
Marketing Strategies: How Small Restaurant Businesses Use Social Media, Tasheenia Bennett
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Social media has changed the way businesses relate to their customers. Since the beginning of social media, traditional methods of communicating with customers have begun to decline. The purpose of this multicase study was to determine the strategies of 5 owners of small restaurant businesses in Western North Carolina who successfully used social media marketing for 1 year or more. Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory was the conceptual framework for this study. Data collection included semistructured interviews, documents pertaining to social media marketing strategies, and social media pages and websites from the participating restaurants. These data were analyzed following Yin's …
Crowdfunding As A Financing Resource For Small Businesses, Melissa Cohen
Crowdfunding As A Financing Resource For Small Businesses, Melissa Cohen
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Although small businesses borrowed $1 trillion in 2013 from traditional lenders, 35% of small business owners were unable to obtain adequate financing and subsequently sought alternative sources such as crowdfunding. Guided by the pecking order theory, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to explore how 6 small business owners in Tennessee successfully used crowdfunding to start, grow, or sustain their businesses. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of crowdfunding project data on the internet platform including the project description, target goal, amount achieved, number of backers, and locations of the funders. Data were inductively analyzed, …
Growth Capital Strategies For Defense Industry Women-Owned Small Businesses, Karen Renee Butler
Growth Capital Strategies For Defense Industry Women-Owned Small Businesses, Karen Renee Butler
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Access to growth capital, a critical factor for growing a successful, sustainable business, is a challenge for women-owned small businesses. Following the resource based theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what capital growth strategies 6 small women-owned business leaders in the defense industry in Dayton, Ohio used to ensure business sustainability beyond the initial start-up period of 1 year. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Methodological triangulation, member checking, reflexivity, and an audit trail were used to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Based on thematic analysis of the data, emergent themes included growth …
Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke
Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the food industry contend with a variety of corporate sustainability and social responsibility (CSSR) issues, ranging from the environmental impact of food waste to human health concerns about specific ingredients and production methods. In this qualitative multicase study, based on the conceptual frameworks of strategic development, stakeholder management, and institutional theory, I explored barriers and enablers for Washington, DC-based food SMEs as they proactively addressed CSSR issues. I interviewed five SME owner-managers. The transcripts were then coded and analyzed. Three themes emerged. Strategic development tended to be ad hoc and experimental, but with equal …
Exploring Business Planning Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses In The Construction Trades, Diana Fay-Spina
Exploring Business Planning Strategies Of Women-Owned Small Businesses In The Construction Trades, Diana Fay-Spina
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many small businesses fail to survive past 5 years, listing the primary reason given for failure as inadequate business planning strategies. The construction industry provides the building and upkeep of physical infrastructure (buildings and roadways) in developed societies and is a major contributor to the gross domestic product for many nations. In the United States, the construction trades primarily consist of small businesses, with a smaller portion of the sector classified as women-owned. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the business planning strategies that successful women-owned small business (WOSB) construction leaders in New Jersey use …
Budget Planning, Budget Control, Business Age, And Financial Performance In Small Businesses, Tracy A. Foster
Budget Planning, Budget Control, Business Age, And Financial Performance In Small Businesses, Tracy A. Foster
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Over 390,000 businesses failed in the United States in 2014. The primary cause for most business failures is poor planning, and budgets are a primary means of planning. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine to what extent, if any, budget planning, budget control, and the age of the business significantly predict financial performance in small businesses. The target population consisted of small business leaders in the Midwest. Churchill and Lewis's theory on the relative importance of selected management factors of small businesses through 5 stages of development formed the theoretical framework for this study. Data were collected …
The Survival Of Small Businesses In Northeastern Florida After A Natural Disaster, Harry Kemp
The Survival Of Small Businesses In Northeastern Florida After A Natural Disaster, Harry Kemp
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many small business owners lack strategies needed to prevent permanent business closure in the wake of extreme natural disaster situations. After a natural disaster, small businesses suffer financial losses in millions of dollars related to damage and destruction that disrupt their lives, families, and communities. This multiple case study explored strategies that 5 small business owners in northeastern Florida used to avoid permanent business closure in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The theory of planned behavior and vested interest theory were the conceptual frameworks used in this multiple case study. In-depth interviews with purposively selected small business owners were …
Leadership Strategies And Employee Performance Within Small Business, Letica Carla Sellers
Leadership Strategies And Employee Performance Within Small Business, Letica Carla Sellers
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The survival of the small business industry is important to the United Sates workforce and economy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies of 2 small business managers in a manufacturing setting who had a demonstrable record of improving employee performance to meet organizational goals. The conceptual framework for this study was Burns and Bass's transformational leadership theory. The small business managers were from 2 small manufacturing plants in the coastal plains region of South Carolina. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, archival documents, and observations of the managers during their daily activities. Data analysis …
Strategies For Small Businesses To Win Federal Contracts, Fredrick Derell Murphy
Strategies For Small Businesses To Win Federal Contracts, Fredrick Derell Murphy
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small businesses miss out on federal contracting opportunities because of the strategies they lack. Both large and small businesses provide supplies and services through contract awards to the U.S. government while spending over $300 billion annually. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies of small business owners in the Clarksville, Tennessee and Hopkinsville, Kentucky region who have won federal contracts. Porter's competitive advantage theory grounded this study as the conceptual framework. The data collection process involved face-to-face, semistructured interviews and member checking with 3 small business owners to enhance credibility of data interpretation. Themes that …
Strategies For Entrepreneurs With Disabilities To Sustain A Successful Small Business, Terry L. Howard
Strategies For Entrepreneurs With Disabilities To Sustain A Successful Small Business, Terry L. Howard
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In 2006, Congress appropriated $5 million to create a research-based policy and give technical assistance to agencies that achieved self-employment outcomes for entrepreneurs with disabilities (EWDs). A lack of information exists within the extant body of research on EWDs and the strategies they employ to develop successful businesses. The research design was a multiple case study format engaging 3 Michigan EWDs whose firms were profitable after at least 3 years of successful business operations. Tipu's conceptual framework of entrepreneurship was useful in understanding the basis for successful EWDs' strategies. Face-to-face interviews with EWDs and onsite observations of their business operations …
Cyber-Security Policy Decisions In Small Businesses, Joanna Patterson
Cyber-Security Policy Decisions In Small Businesses, Joanna Patterson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Cyber-attacks against small businesses are on the rise yet small business owners often lack effective strategies to avoid these attacks. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies small business owners use to make cyber-security decisions. Bertalanffy's general systems theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. A purposive sample of 10 small business owners participated in the interview process and shared their decision-making methodologies and influencers. The small business owners were vetted to ensure their strategies were effective through a series of qualification questions. The intent of the research question and corresponding interview questions …
The First 4 Years: A Small Business Sustainability Study, Iris Ann Cooper
The First 4 Years: A Small Business Sustainability Study, Iris Ann Cooper
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small businesses create most of the new jobs in the world, yet more than half fail before the 5th year. Small businesses contribute to the economy by originating new products and services, yet they often lack the strategies to overcome the challenges of the beginning years. When businesses fail, the community wanes from unemployment, poverty, crime, and other social dilemmas. The purpose of this single case study was to explore small business strategies for sustainability beyond Year 4, specifically in a single independent operating Ohio restaurant owner with less than 500 employees. The conceptual framework was Schumpeter's theory of the …
Examining Small Business Adoption Of Computerized Accounting Systems Using The Technology Acceptance Model., Alan D. Rogers
Examining Small Business Adoption Of Computerized Accounting Systems Using The Technology Acceptance Model., Alan D. Rogers
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Small business owners who fail to adopt modern technology risk placing themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Drawing on Davis's technology acceptance model, the purpose of this study was to examine how small business owners in Central Ohio come to accept and use computerized accounting systems (CAS). The research question addressed the correlation between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the intent to adopt CAS using multiple linear regression. Data were collected using a survey mailed to 347 small business owners which yielded a sample size of 71 respondents. Results showed a positive correlation between perceived ease of use, perceived …
Relationship Between Financial Knowledge And Business Performance For Truck Owner-Operators, Tahsen H. Alqatawni
Relationship Between Financial Knowledge And Business Performance For Truck Owner-Operators, Tahsen H. Alqatawni
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Owner-operator lack of knowledge about financial and operation costs is a serious impediment to business survival. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between the knowledge of financial and operational costs among trucking owner-operators and their business performance. The theoretical framework for the study was the resource-based theory and knowledge gap theory. A convenience sample of 78 owner-operator truckers across the United States participated in this study. The response rate was 17% for a web-based survey that was distributed to owner-operators in Facebook, and 83% for the paper-based surveys from the owner-operators who were visiting more …