Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

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

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Jorge Gaytan

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced consumer demand in Puerto Rico, resulting in manufacturing jobs decreasing from 76,000 in March 2020 to 72,600 in August 2020, and the PMI decreasing falling from 50.5 to 48.1 in the same period. Owners of mattress manufacturing firms in Puerto Rico who lack strategies to increase consumer demand risk financial losses. Grounded in the strategic management theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of mattress manufacturing firms in Puerto Rico use to increase demand for mattresses. The participants included three owners of mattress manufacturing firms in Puerto Rico who successfully increased demand for mattresses. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company documents related to mattress sales and demand. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in four themes: having inventory for immediate sales increased the demand for mattresses, marketing in social networks increased the demand for mattresses, establishing good prices increased the demand for mattresses, and delivering excellent customer service increased the demand for mattresses. A key recommendation is for owners of mattress manufacturing firms to post the amount of inventory available at their manufacturing facilities on their websites in response to the importance the buyers place buyers' importance on buying products at the manufacturing facilities. The implications for positive social change include the potential of improved health benefits of more frequent mattress replacement and increased revenue that could translate into a larger more extensive tax base that local governments could use to implement community-based projects.

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