Date of Conferral

10-23-2025

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Gwendolyn Dooley

Abstract

High employee turnover during organizational change can weaken the hospitality sector’s operational efficiency, leading to inconsistencies in service delivery and reduced productivity. To mitigate these effects, hospitality business leaders are encouraged to adopt evidence-based retention practices that strengthen employee commitment and sustain organizational success. Grounded in job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies hospitality business leaders used to retain employees during organizational change. Six hospitality business leaders from the Southeastern United States region were participants in semistructured interviews. The four themes that emerged through thematic analysis were clear communication, competitive compensation, rapport building, and reward and recognition. A primary recommendation for hospitality business leaders is to cultivate a safe environment during organizational change where clear communication, transparency, and honesty are the epitome of their leadership. The implications for positive social change include potential opportunities for business leaders to become change agents by creating jobs that can enhance the well-being of families and communities.

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