Date of Conferral
4-15-2025
Date of Award
April 2025
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Jill Murray
Abstract
Employee retention is a persistent challenge in the restaurant industry. Business owners are particularly concerned because frequent staff departures can disrupt operations, increase training costs, and ultimately threaten business profitability. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to identify restaurant owners’ effective retention strategies in Birmingham, AL. Data sources included semistructured interviews, public data such as disseminated reports and websites, literature, including books, and peer-reviewed articles. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in four themes: (a) compensation, (b) acknowledgment and rewards, (c) management practices, and (d) a positive working environment. A key recommendation is to integrate Herzberg’s framework into existing employee engagement models to evaluate their current HR strategies and mitigate employee retention. The implications for positive social change include the potential for restaurant and business owners to reduce unemployment rates, increase profitability, and implement effective retention strategies.
Recommended Citation
Leonard, Olivia Patriece, "Effective Strategies Restaurant Owners Use to Retain Employees" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17604.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17604
