Date of Conferral

7-2-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Melvia Scott

Abstract

Small retail businesses in the Southern United States continue to experience costly millennial employee turnover, threatening workforce stability and long-term business sustainability. This issue is important to small Southern retail business owners because turnover increases staffing costs, disrupts customer service, and weakens organizational performance. The purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies some small Southern U.S. retail business owners use to improve millennial employee retention. The job demands–resources model grounded the research project. Participants were six owner-operators in Virginia, Alabama, and Tennessee with at least 5 years of leadership experience managing millennial employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and publicly available documents. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Five themes emerged: (a) workplace flexibility and autonomy; (b) mentoring, coaching, and career development; (c) recognition, feedback, and well-being; (d) values-driven and inclusive leadership; and (e) purpose, community engagement, and personal resources. A key recommendation is that small Southern retail business owners embed autonomy, mentoring, recognition, and community engagement into daily operations to improve millennial employee retention. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve the well-being of millennial employees, strengthen underserved communities, and equipping small business owners and workforce development organizations with actionable, evidence-based strategies.

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