Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Tim Truitt
Abstract
Owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) confront different hurdles,including difficulties with business registration, a lack of government support, and bureaucracy, thus, may require different strategies to achieve business longevity. The strategies that SME owners use to sustain their businesses past 5 years, a critical benchmark, are not fully understood, the purpose of this study was to explore strategies SME owners use to sustain their business operations beyond 5 years. The conceptual framework consisted of systems theory and the Six Sigma define, measure, analyze, improve, and control model. The participants were five SME senior-level managers at five fashion retailers in Northcentral Texas. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and reviews of organizational documents and analyzed using a five-step thematic data analysis approach. The themes that emerged were creative innovation and testing new markets, improvement in quality, production hub and training centers, human relationships, and government support through social change initiatives. A key recommendation to SME owners in the fashion retail sector are to adopt creative innovation and consider expanding their businesses to African countries, inculcate the paradigm of human relationships into organizational culture, and maintain close alliances with government agencies and local communities for potentially favorable policies. The positive social change implications include potential job creation and increased tax revenue for the government to provide essential services to the people.
Recommended Citation
Raymond, Musa Moses, "Strategies to Sustain Small Businesses in the Texas Retail Fashion Beyond 5 Years" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 14447.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/14447
