Date of Conferral

10-20-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Jennifer Mudek

Abstract

Organizational change can erode employee engagement and intensify avoidable turnover when leaders lack effective implementation strategies. This is important to medium to large enterprise (MLE) human resource (HR) business leaders because preventable turnover raises replacement costs and disrupts operations. Grounded in Lewin’s change theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify strategies that MLE HR business leaders used to implement organizational change and improve engagement and retention. The participants were 10 HR business leaders in U.S. based MLE organizations who had successfully implemented organizational change. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available organizational documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) proactive, multichannel communication; (b) early, structured employee involvement; (c) leadership sponsorship and manager preparedness; (d) data-driven decision making; and (e) deliberate reinforcement and follow-up. A key recommendation is that MLE HR business leaders institutionalize an integrated process that sequences tailored communication, employee input, manager preparation, relevant performance measures, and continued follow-up. The implications for positive social change include the potential to create more transparent, participatory, and psychologically supportive workplaces. Employees may benefit from greater voice and well-being during change, their families from employment stability, and their communities from responsible workforce transitions and stronger local employment.

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