Date of Conferral
3-4-2024
Date of Award
March 2024
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Denise Land
Abstract
The lack of succession plans can lead to organizational knowledge loss. Small business leaders are concerned with succession planning, which can lead to company closures. Grounded in Woodworth and Thorndike’s knowledge transfer for succession planning theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies small business leaders use to develop and implement succession plans. The participants were two small business owners of a health sector organization in the Midwestern United States who implemented succession plans to prevent organization knowledge loss. Data were collected using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, semistructured interviews, and a review of organizational documents. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis; three themes emerged: (a) employee and leadership audits, (b) career mapping for succession planning, and (c) shadowing, training, developing, and strategic depth. A key recommendation is for organizational leaders to develop career maps for employees. The implications for positive social change include the potential for employees to fulfill organizational sustainability leadership roles, employee job retention, and thus, employee economic contribution to the community.
Recommended Citation
St. Prix, Selma Daphne, "Strategies Leaders of Small Businesses Use to Develop and Implement Succession Plans" (2024). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 15402.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/15402
