Date of Conferral

7-5-2024

Date of Award

July 2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Danielle Wright-Babb

Abstract

Minority-owned (e.g., Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic, and women) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for a small percentage of U.S. businesses in this sector. In this context, owners and managers of these businesses need to capitalize on social media to increase their marketplace survivability within the first 18 months of operation. The purpose of this quantitative correlation study, which was based on the technology acceptance model and absorptive capacity theory, was to examine whether the number of social media platforms presences predicts social strategy, customer involvement in innovation, and knowledge gained from customers for innovation in the United States. The number of social media platforms was the independent variable, and social strategy, customer involvement in innovation, and knowledge gained from customers for innovation were the dependent variables. An online survey was administered to managers of 164 randomly selected minority-owned SMEs in the United States. Data analysis featured the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression. The results indicated a statistical significance in the predictive ability of the number of social media platform presences for social strategy, customer involvement in innovation, and knowledge gained from customers for innovation in minority-owned SMEs in the United States. The implications for positive social change include the potential for owners and managers of minority-owned SMEs to understand how to increase innovation success for marketplace sustainability. By improving the sustainability of their businesses, owners and managers may be able to promote the social well-being of their families and employees and the communities in which they operate

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