Date of Conferral

7-2022

Degree

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

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Dr. Betsy Macht

Abstract

Small businesses in the United States employ 48% of the workforce, and only 50% percent of small businesses survive beyond 5 years. Business leaders are concerned with strategies to retain and expand their customer base to mitigate business failure and enhance survivability. Grounded in the leader-member exchange theory, the purpose of my qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies automotive dealership business leaders used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants comprised five business leaders in the automotive industry in the Central and Southwest U.S. State of Michigan. Data were collected using semistructured face-to-face interviews and a review of the organizational archival documents. Data analysis was conducted using Yin’s 5-step data analysis process: five themes emerged: customer relationship management, leadership, culture, reputation, and change. A key recommendation is for business leaders to safeguard their reputation with their customers, employees, and external stakeholders as a survivability strategy. Positive social change may be affected by the contributions to improving small business leaders’ acumen, survivability, employment prosperity, and increased revenues for the local, state, and federal governments.

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