Date of Conferral

9-23-2026

Date of Award

September 2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Carol-Anne  Faint

Abstract

Employee recruitment and retention remain persistent challenges for organizational leaders seeking to improve workforce stability, sustain performance, and remain competitive in dynamic labor markets. Business leaders who struggle to capture and retain talent experience lowered organizational performance and profitability, placing the organization at risk of failure. In the context of performance measurement and the dynamic capabilities framework, this qualitative, pragmatic inquiry aimed to identify and explore effective strategies that leaders use to recruit and retain employees to improve business performance and organizational effectiveness. The participants were six senior leaders from government, education, defense, and private-sector organizations in California and the Western United States who had demonstrated success in recruiting and retaining employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available organizational documents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) strategic role definition and recruitment clarity, (b) character, soft skills, and cultural fit, (c) leadership quality and retention, and (d) motivation, recognition, and work–life balance. A key recommendation is improved communication between leaders and employees to boost retention. The implications for positive social change include the potential for organizational leaders to strengthen organizational culture to enhance job satisfaction and retention, thereby stabilizing local economies.

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