Date of Conferral
2-26-2025
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Irene Williams
Abstract
Small businesses are critical contributors to economic stability and job creation but often struggle to survive beyond their first five years. Business leaders face challenges such as declining employee morale and high turnover, which can contribute to organizational failure, financial loss, loss of credibility, and bankruptcy. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study aimed to discover and explore strategies small business leaders have used to achieve sustained growth and longevity beyond the initial five-year startup period. The participants included eight small business leaders from South Florida and the Caribbean who had successfully operated their businesses for at least five years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, interview notes, and public organizational records. A thematic analysis was conducted, identifying five key themes: (a) strategic involvement and participation, (b) business promotion, (c) personnel management strategy, (d) leader commitment and transformational intrinsic factors and (e) leadership identification and work ethics. A key recommendation is for business leaders to develop and implement transformational leadership strategies to effectively acquire and motivate staff, enhancing the likelihood of long-term success beyond the five-year startup period. The implications for positive social change include increased small business sustainability, which contributes to job creation, economic stability, and overall community development.
Recommended Citation
Powell, Al Richard, "Transformational Strategies That Some Small Organizational Leaders Use to Lead Their Business Beyond the 5-Year Start-up Mark" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17426.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17426
