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Strategies For Sustaining Success In Small Businesses In Nigeria, Mina Johnson-Hart Jan 2023

Strategies For Sustaining Success In Small Businesses In Nigeria, Mina Johnson-Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enterprise owners in Nigeria who need more entrepreneurial skills and an understanding of the business environment may need help sustaining their market share. Nigerian small business owners are concerned with the need for entrepreneurial growth strategies because it could reduce business profitability sustainability and lead to entity failure. Grounded in the entrepreneurial orientation theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies Nigerian small business owners implement for sustaining success beyond 5 years. The participants were three small business owners in the professional services sector who developed strategies for sustaining success beyond 5 years. Data were …


Technology Manufacturing Leaders’ Innovation Strategies To Improve Users’ Choice Capabilities In A Fast-Changing Markets, Magnus Ekwunife Jan 2023

Technology Manufacturing Leaders’ Innovation Strategies To Improve Users’ Choice Capabilities In A Fast-Changing Markets, Magnus Ekwunife

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some leaders of technology manufacturing organizations lack strategies to educate their users on how to make the optimal cloud technology selection decisions for their organizations during rapidly evolving innovation, resulting in significant risk of wrong choices and loss of customer loyalty. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies technology manufacturing leaders use to educate users on how to make optimal cloud technology selection decisions for their organizations. The participants were six executive-level leaders of the strategic sales division of a multinational technology organization based in the western United States who …


Strategies For Information Technology Small Business Owners To Sustain Beyond The First 5 Years, Edward Alan Rodarte Jan 2022

Strategies For Information Technology Small Business Owners To Sustain Beyond The First 5 Years, Edward Alan Rodarte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are the foundation of an economy and spawn innovation, but small business owners fail at an alarming rate because they lack strategies to sustain business operations. Since 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years, small business sustainability research is critical to support small business owners. Grounded in entrepreneurial theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to identify strategies information technology (IT) small business owners use to sustain operation beyond the first 5 years. The participants included four IT small business owners in the Southwestern United States who sustained operations beyond the first 5 …


Leadership Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Swaziland, Lizzy Oluwatoyin Taiwo Jan 2022

Leadership Strategies For Sustainability Of Small And Medium Enterprises In Swaziland, Lizzy Oluwatoyin Taiwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an essential role in national and global economic growth. Lack of leadership strategies can negatively impact the sustainability and growth of SMEs. Business owners who implement appropriate leadership strategies can ensure the sustainability of their SMEs. Grounded in transformational leadership theory and sustainability development theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore leadership strategies owners of SMEs use to ensure the sustainability of their organizations. The participants were four owners of SMEs within the four regions in Swaziland who successfully used leadership strategies to enhance the sustainability of their organizations. …


Strategies For Achieving Sustainability Of Small Business Restaurants, Tanisha Thomas-Beard Jan 2022

Strategies For Achieving Sustainability Of Small Business Restaurants, Tanisha Thomas-Beard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business restaurant owners perform unprofitably and fail within 5 years of opening. Small business restaurant owners are concerned about sustainability as approximately 50% of small businesses that start up do not last beyond the fifth year. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small business restaurant owners use to grow and maintain profitability to sustain business beyond 5 years. The participants were five small business restaurant owners in the Southeastern region of the United States who sustained their business beyond 5 years. The data were analyzed using …


Climbing The Economic Ladder - Doing Business In Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Using Sdg-Related Policies, Romena Tamira L.V. Browne Jan 2022

Climbing The Economic Ladder - Doing Business In Saint Vincent And The Grenadines Using Sdg-Related Policies, Romena Tamira L.V. Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through Invest SVG, a statutory body under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning, and Information Technology, the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was seeking to develop a policy environment that was conducive to optimal growth for private sector development, in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals. The outcomes of such endeavors may include but are not limited to higher levels of employment, revenue generation, and economic growth. In this study, two primary areas were addressed: the regulatory weaknesses for doing business in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, using the criteria outlined in The Ease of …


Strategies Small-And Medium-Sized Enterprise Leaders Use For Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In Rivers State, Olawe Alaba Tula Jan 2022

Strategies Small-And Medium-Sized Enterprise Leaders Use For Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In Rivers State, Olawe Alaba Tula

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) leaders lacking sustainability strategies experience high rates of business failure through loss of profit. A high rate of SME failure is linked to a lack of competitive advantage, resulting in decreased productivity and profitability. Grounded in resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that three SME leaders in Rivers State used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents, including employee handbooks and annual reports. The three themes that emerged through thematic analysis were strategic management, stakeholder management strategies, …


Sustainability Strategies For Small Business Organizations, Tajudeen O. Olatunji Jan 2021

Sustainability Strategies For Small Business Organizations, Tajudeen O. Olatunji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to every nation’s economic growth, including the United States, but more than 67% of SMEs fail within the first 10 years. When SMEs implement long term business sustainability strategies, they continue to generate business and remain profitable, enabling SMEs to remain viable and contribute to local community employment opportunities. Using entrepreneurship theory as the conceptual framework, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by 3 SME owners in the northeastern region of the United States to sustain their businesses beyond 10 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews …


Characteristics Of Authentic Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Information Technology Startups In Kenya, Christine Mukhwana Jan 2021

Characteristics Of Authentic Entrepreneurial Leadership Within Information Technology Startups In Kenya, Christine Mukhwana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Kenya, over 60% of nascent entrepreneurs start businesses with minimal leadership experience, engendering founder-CEOs who cannot sustain a business beyond its formative years. The problem is the nascent entrepreneurs’ lack of understanding of effective leadership. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to develop a more nuanced understanding of authentic leadership behavior from the perspective of nascent entrepreneurs. Authentic leadership theory and the three-factor model were used to conceptualize the study. The research question focused on nascent entrepreneurs’ lived experiences and understanding of authentic leadership. The participants in the study were entrepreneurs from the information technology industry in …


Strategies For Small Business Entrepreneur Sustainability For 5 Years And Beyond, Ralph A. Heath Iii Jan 2021

Strategies For Small Business Entrepreneur Sustainability For 5 Years And Beyond, Ralph A. Heath Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractSmall business failures impede entrepreneurs' sustainability in localities, the state, and the U.S. economy. Small business entrepreneurs are concerned about strategies to target and minimize obstacles from business inception for business survival because the failure rate increases as the business develop. Grounded in the entrepreneurial theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies for small business entrepreneur sustainability beyond five years. Participants comprised three small business owners in Southeast Virginia who effectively used strategies to sustain their business beyond five years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, analysis of participants’ business documentation, and research of …


Social Connectedness And Financial Independence Strategies Supporting Nonprofit Sustainability, Christopher Edmund Maylor Jan 2020

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 Corporate Social Responsibility And Social Performance Of Small Businesses, Melva Steps Jan 2020

Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility And Social Performance Of Small Businesses, Melva Steps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business leaders affected by negative social performance may also experience a diminishing customer base and minimized profits. Grounded in the strategic success paradigm framework, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between four elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic posture (workplace, marketplace, community, and environment) and social performance. The participants consisted of retail trade small business owners in the United States. The Survey of CSR in Small Business was conducted via SurveyMonkey and provided the data for analysis (N = 85). Results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the regression model significantly …


Strategies For Small Business Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In New Restaurant Industry, Alexandria Norma Wilhoite Jan 2020

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability Beyond 5 Years In New Restaurant Industry, Alexandria Norma Wilhoite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half of small businesses in the United States are unsustainable within the first five years of existence. Small business owners who do not implement successful and sustainable strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that some small restaurant owners use to sustain business beyond five years. The participants included three small business owners in Connecticut who have been in business for five years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company websites, and company documents. Yin’s 5-step thematic analysis was …


Strategies Nonprofit Leaders Use To Achieve Financial Stability Through Sustainable Funding, Jerel Lynnette Colemon Jan 2019

Strategies Nonprofit Leaders Use To Achieve Financial Stability Through Sustainable Funding, Jerel Lynnette Colemon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of nonprofit organizations fail to achieve financial stability to meet their mission and vision without sustainable funding. The achievement of fiscal sustainability is the most pressing challenge facing the nonprofit sector. Through the lens of the balanced scorecard model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit organization executive leaders used to secure sustainable funding for financial stability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 5 executive directors of nonprofit organizations in Ohio and a review of their organizational documents relevant to sustainable funding. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step process for analysis. The …


The Alchemy Of Sustaining New Business Ventures, Alicia R. Hooks Jan 2019

The Alchemy Of Sustaining New Business Ventures, Alicia R. Hooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high failure rates of new business ventures (NBV) negatively affect employment and potential contributions to the economic health of communities. The high NBV failure rate is essential, as NBV sustainability influences job creation and increases employment rates in communities surrounding the NBV. The purpose of this qualitative single case study, using the effectuation conceptual framework, was to explore strategies organization leaders in the state of Missouri used for sustaining NBV operations beyond 5 years. The sample consisted of 6 NBV consultants from a single Missouri NBV consulting firm who have sustained NBVs beyond 5 years. The 6 NBV consultants …


Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Victor K. Adoukonou Jan 2019

Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Victor K. Adoukonou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses represent more than 99% of all employers in the United States, but more than 50% of small businesses have failed before 5 years. Climate change, digitization, and social media contribute to a paradigm shift in consumers' habits, as more consumers have become environmentally and social justice conscious. Business leaders who are unable to follow the consumers' trends and changes of habit may not succeed in sustaining their businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of small businesses in the District of Columbia use to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years …


Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters Jan 2019

Exploring Leadership Skills For The Sustainability Of Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Yvette Julianne Peters

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute to the stability and growth of economies by creating employment in rural and urban areas. More than 60% of SMEs do not survive for longer than 5 years; a lack of leadership skills is among the key problems. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the leadership skills owners-managers used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. Research participants were 4 owners-managers of SMEs from the manufacturing industry in Trinidad and Tobago that sustained their businesses for at least 5 years. The contingency leadership model and the skill-based leadership …


Strategies To Sustain A Real Estate Small Business In Postnatural-Disaster Area, Vianka Miranda Jan 2019

Strategies To Sustain A Real Estate Small Business In Postnatural-Disaster Area, Vianka Miranda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small real estate business leaders lack effective strategies to resume and sustain operations in a postnatural-disaster environment. This multiple case study investigated strategies that 3 small real estate business leaders in southeastern Louisiana used to resume and sustain operations in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The chaos theory and stakeholder theory were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, and reviews of business continuity plan documents and member checking. The themes that emerged from data analysis were leaders' strategies relating to business planning and innovation, stakeholder engagement, operations management, and disaster responsiveness. Implications …


Strategies For Sustainability In Multilevel Marketing Organizations, Nicole Renea Cordell Jan 2018

Strategies For Sustainability In Multilevel Marketing Organizations, Nicole Renea Cordell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of entrepreneurs in the direct sales industry has steadily increased since 2010; however, the annual turnover rate is 56%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore multilevel marketing (MLM) entrepreneurial leadership strategies implemented to help ensure sustainability of entrepreneurial MLM businesses for longer than 5 years. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 10 entrepreneurs who maintained an MLM business more than 5 years and used a hierarchical status that required a team. The transformational leadership theory constituted the conceptual framework for researching leadership as a concept of entrepreneurship and sustainability in MLM. Data were collected …


Strategies To Sustain Small And Medium-Size Manufacturing Enterprises In Jamaica, Hugh Anthony Blake Jan 2018

Strategies To Sustain Small And Medium-Size Manufacturing Enterprises In Jamaica, Hugh Anthony Blake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Jamaica's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a high failure rate. In 2016, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recorded Jamaica's SME start-up rate at 4.06% and the discontinuance rate at 9%. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore the strategies some Jamaican SME owners used to achieve business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework used was the entrepreneurship theory, which provided insights into business sustainability. A purposive sample of 5 owners of SMEs who had achieved business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 …


Leadership Skills To Sustain High-Tech Entrepreneurial Ventures, Zoaib Z. Rangwala Jan 2018

Leadership Skills To Sustain High-Tech Entrepreneurial Ventures, Zoaib Z. Rangwala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High-tech (HT) innovation-oriented entrepreneurs start 35% more ventures and create 10% more jobs in the first 5 years of operation than the rest of the private sector and drive significant economic growth across all industries; however, more than 50% of the entrepreneurial HT ventures fail during the first 5 years of operations. Guided by the conceptual framework of transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multicase study was to explore skills used by successful entrepreneurial leaders to sustain their HT ventures in Silicon Valley, California. Data collection was from 8 participants in semistructured 1-on-1 interviews and 3 participants in a …


Success Factors Of Entrepreneurship In Emerging Rural Economies, Sultan Tahir Mehmood Jan 2018

Success Factors Of Entrepreneurship In Emerging Rural Economies, Sultan Tahir Mehmood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One factor of the leadership stratagem is to account for the core values, operations, and growth of the organization. The purpose of this case study was to ascertain the financial strategies small business leaders incorporate to help ensure growth of small businesses. The conceptual framework of Schumpeter's innovation and entrepreneurship theory and the Grameen model were included to drive the scope and analysis of this study. A purposive sample of 8 leaders from successful small businesses in Islamabad contributed to a focus group session; 4 out of these participants originated from the finance and management department and 4 represented sales …


Return On Investment Of The Cftp Framework With And Without Risk Assessment, Anne Lim Lee Jan 2017

Return On Investment Of The Cftp Framework With And Without Risk Assessment, Anne Lim Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, numerous high tech companies have developed and used technology roadmaps when making their investment decisions. Jay Paap has proposed the Customer Focused Technology Planning (CFTP) framework to draw future technology roadmaps. However, the CFTP framework does not include risk assessment as a critical factor in decision making. The problem addressed in this quantitative study was that high tech companies are either losing money or getting a much smaller than expected return on investment when making technology investment decisions. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between returns on investment before and after adding risk …


Relationship Between Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, And Security Costs With Revenue Losses, Ijeoma Ogechi Nwachukwu Jan 2017

Relationship Between Oil Theft, Pipeline Vandalism, And Security Costs With Revenue Losses, Ijeoma Ogechi Nwachukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The oil and gas multinational companies (MNCs) in the Niger Delta continue to face numerous challenges operating in the region, especially concerning the loss of revenue. Based on the resource dependence theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between oil theft, pipeline vandalism, security costs, and revenue. Eighty-eight mid- to high-level managers of oil and gas completed the Factors That Affect Company Revenue instrument. The results of the multiple linear regression analyses indicated the model was able to significantly predict revenue, F(3,88) = 947,279.44, p < .001, R2 = 1.000. All 3 predictors contributed significantly to the model, with pipeline vandalism recording the highest beta value (Ã? = .553, p = .000), the oil theft predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .451, p = .000), and the security costs predictor with the next highest beta weight (Ã? = .387, p = .000). The leaders of the oil and gas MNCs could use the outcome of this study in creating strategies and policies that guide their operations in the region, which would improve the relationship with host communities and mitigate their efforts in reducing the loss of revenue. Improved relations would result in a reduction of oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and security costs, thereby reducing revenue losses. The implication of positive social change includes implementation of more corporate social responsibility strategies and improving the economy of the region and the livelihood of the host communities.


Sustainability And Social Responsibility In Small Food Enterprises: Barriers And Enablers, Aurora Dawn Reinke Jan 2017

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 …


The Bop Energy Challenge And Pro-Poor Responses: Strategic Entry Pathways For Entrepreneurs, Felix Motekah Tang Jan 2016

The Bop Energy Challenge And Pro-Poor Responses: Strategic Entry Pathways For Entrepreneurs, Felix Motekah Tang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many large multinational energy company leaders lack strategies to successfully enter and thrive in bottom of the pyramid (BOP) markets. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies using a purposeful selection of 7 senior managers from a U. S. based global multinational energy leader with experience in BOP markets in the Republic of Cameroon. The BOP concept served as the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with senior managers, relevant websites, and government publications. Several themes emerged that were narrowed through categorical aggregation to identify strategies. Major themes included BOP readiness …


Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis Jan 2016

Small Retail Business Owner Strategies Needed To Succeed Beyond 5 Years, Colonel Jaime Solis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses accounted for 99% of the firms in private industry, provided 38% of the goods and services sold in the United States, and hired 55% of the labor force each year between 2012 and 2015. From 1993 to 2013, small firms accounted for 63% of new work generated while more than 50% of U.S. small businesses failed inside of 5 years and at least 20% failed during the first year. The purpose of this multiunit case study was to explore the strategies small retail businesses used to achieve sustainability beyond 5 years in a purposefully selected county in Virginia. …


Women Entrepreneurs: Keys To Successful Business Development And Sustainability Beyond Five Years, Delores Duncan Foster Jan 2016

Women Entrepreneurs: Keys To Successful Business Development And Sustainability Beyond Five Years, Delores Duncan Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial populations, accounting for 8 million of the 28 million small businesses in the United States. Small businesses fail at a rate of 55% by the 5th year of operation and women, who own over 30% of all small businesses, contribute significantly to the 55% small business failure rate. Using Schumpeter's framework, this single exploratory case study investigated how women entrepreneurial small business owners use strategies to sustain their business operation beyond 5 years. A purposeful sample identified 2 women salon small business owners located in the Macon, Georgia metro area. Data …


Marketing Strategies Of Mobile Game Application Entrepreneurs, Talaya Waller Jan 2015

Marketing Strategies Of Mobile Game Application Entrepreneurs, Talaya Waller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mobile game application entrepreneurs can offer many benefits to the U.S. economy; however, 80% of the entrepreneurs in this study stated that marketing their mobile applications was a major business challenge. Successful strategies that entrepreneurs have used to overcome their mobile game application marketing challenges may be beneficial to other entrepreneurs. Based on Schumpeter's theory of economic development and new value creation of technological innovation, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies that entrepreneurs have used to market their mobile game application development businesses successfully. Twenty mobile game application entrepreneurs from northern California, who successfully sustained …


Networking The Relationships Of Microenterprise Development In Bulgaria, Kristina Ann Harris Jan 2015

Networking The Relationships Of Microenterprise Development In Bulgaria, Kristina Ann Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The networking relationships provided by microenterprise development (MED) organizations foster sustainable and scalable Bulgarian small businesses. Some Bulgarian MED leaders lack the strategies to help sustain small businesses in Bulgaria. Guided by the actor network theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore the strategies MED leaders use to help sustain small businesses in Bulgaria. Data were collected through a semistructured focus group comprised of MED Bulgarian business leaders (n = 4) in Rhodope Mountain Region and company data consisting of financial reports, marketing presentations, and company business plan. The data analysis included using keyword frequency comparisons, coding …