Date of Conferral
6-11-2025
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Rocky Dwyer
Abstract
Small business leaders face financial and logistical challenges during crises, such as economic downturns, natural disasters, and supply chain disruptions. This issue is critical for small business owners and policymakers, as effective crisis management ensures economic stability and community resilience. Grounded in situational crisis communications theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective crisis management strategies that small business leaders use to remain operational and profitable during unexpected events. The participants were seven small business leaders in Dallas, Texas who used effective crisis management strategies to remain profitable during unexpected events. Datum was collected from semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available industry documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) leaders demonstrated strategic adaptability through service pivots and financial flexibility, (b) leaders used relational and transparent leadership approaches to build internal resilience, and (c) leaders leveraged technology and external partnerships to maintain continuity during crisis conditions. A key recommendation is for small business leaders to leverage partnerships with local community organizations to maintain profitability. The implications of positive social change include the potential for small business leaders to adopt adaptive crisis management strategies, thereby maintaining employment , reducing economic displacement , and enhancing local economic resilience.
Recommended Citation
Jones, Dr. Brandy Marie, "Crisis Management Strategies for Sustaining Small Business Operations and Profitability During Unexpected Events" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 17958.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/17958
