Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Patricia Fusch

Abstract

The fastest growing segment of business development in the United States comes from small business start-ups, with 42% of these businesses being women owned. Women-owned businesses are annually 25% less profitable when compared to the average small business in the United States. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the purpose of this single exploratory case study was to investigate how women small business owners and their employees use financial strategies to increase the profitability of their businesses. Data came from semistructured interviews with 1 woman business owner and 5 business consultants who work for the women-owned small business. The use of company documents, along with the use of member checking with interview transcripts, allowed for triangulation and verification of the themes derived from the interview data. Three prominent themes emerged during data analysis: networking, motivation, and innovation. The data from the results indicated, within this one particular context, women small business owners and their employees used financial resources for networking, motivation, and innovation. Focusing on these practices could result in increased profits for other women-owned small businesses. Women small business owners and their employees may benefit from the study by expanding the knowledge gained from financial strategies to increase the profitability of their businesses. Furthermore, the findings from the study could provide women business owners and their employees with strategies to grow the business, thereby contributing to job growth and the local economy.

Download

Share

 
COinS