Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

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

School

Business Administration

Advisor

Kasia Disterhoft

Abstract

In Angola, 96.7% of established small businesses fail. Thus, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies retail grocery store owners in Angola use to succeed beyond 5 years. The population of the study consisted of 5 retail grocery storeowners who sustained their businesses longer than 5 years in Angola. The conceptual framework for this study was the resource-based view. Face-to-face, semistructured interviews and company documentation review were used to collect data. Yin's 5-phase cycle, which includes (a) compiling, (b) disassembling, (c) reassembling, (d) interpreting, and (e) concluding, was used to find patterns, themes, and categories from the data. Member checking and methodological triangulation were used to ensure credibility. Through thematic analysis, 5 themes emerged: control and monitoring, dedication of the owner, quality staff, regular offer and quality products, and social capital. These themes reflect a common set of strategies that retail grocery storeowners in Angola use to succeed beyond 5 years. The implications for positive social change include the potential to improve the performance of small businesses and reduce business failure rates and unemployment in Angola. Additionally, by sustaining their profitability, small businesses offer a basis for increasing tax revenues, contributing to economic growth of the local economy, and improving people's living standards.

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