Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Erica D. Gamble
Abstract
Disruptive events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, impact leisure and hospitality businesses by disrupting customer patronage and business operations. Small business owners in the leisure and hospitality industry risk revenue loss and business failure when they cannot remain operational during disruptive events. Grounded in the blue ocean theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies leisure and hospitality small business owners used to sustain their businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants comprised five leisure and hospitality small business owners in the central region of Texas who had successful business operations before the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2019 and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a review of peer-reviewed studies. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: resources, customer service, and communication. The recommendations are for business owners to reconfigure resources and reduce costs, ensure customer service and responsiveness, and convey information about business operations, products, and services. The implication for positive social change includes the potential for leisure and hospitality small business owners to sustain their businesses. With sustained businesses, the community may benefit through additional employment opportunities, improved economic growth, and increased tax revenues.
Recommended Citation
Cheruiyot, Kip, "Strategies for Sustaining Leisure and Hospitality Small Businesses" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12088.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12088
