Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

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

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Edgar A. Jordan

Abstract

Brick and mortar small businesses are the hubs of many small towns. However, some small business owners lack strategies to operate in a small town impacted by unstable economic conditions. Brick and mortar small business owners may experience a higher risk of failure if strategies to overcome the challenges of operating in a small town are not effectively implemented. Grounded in the contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some brick and mortar small business leaders could implement for survival in a post-recession, small-town economy. The participants comprised three small business owners in southern Alabama who successfully operated a brick and mortar business in a post-recession small town for 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, locally published documents, and company websites. An inductive analysis was used to analyze the data. Three themes emerged: (a) market research and competitive analysis, (b) supplementation to original product/service offerings, and (c) community engagement. A key recommendation for traditional small business owners operating in post-recession small towns is to promote growth by implementing omni-channeling as a marketing strategy for small business survival. The implication for social change includes the potential for improving the small-town economy by creating more jobs for local and neighboring residents and increasing revenues to help fund local revitalization projects, education, and community wealth building.

Download

Included in

Business Commons

Share

 
COinS