Date of Conferral

7-23-2026

Date of Award

July 2026

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Levita Bassett

Abstract

Small businesses are vital to the U.S. economy but face significant challenges in implementing organizational change to remain competitive due to resource constraints. This problem is important to small business owners because ineffective change strategies limit growth, sustainability, and broader economic contribution. Grounded in the resource-based view of the firm and entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project is to explore the evidence-based organizational change strategies used by some small business owners in the United States to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. The participants were 6 leaders from small businesses with fewer than 100 employees located in the Midwest and Northeast United States, all of whom had direct experience leading significant change initiatives. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a review of relevant organizational documents. Through thematic analysis, four primary themes were identified: (a) leadership agility and participatory culture, emphasizing transparent communication and employee empowerment; (b) incremental and pragmatic digitalization, involving phased technology adoption and frugal innovation; (c) strategic ecosystem leverage, using formal and informal networks to access external resources; and (d) customer-centric operational pivots, using direct feedback to drive iterative changes. A key recommendation is for small business owners to adopt flexible, resource-efficient change strategies supported by strong stakeholder engagement. The implications for positive social change include providing a framework for small-business stability and growth that supports job creation, community resilience, and economic equity.

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