Date of Conferral
2019
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Management
Advisor
Teresa Lao
Abstract
In small businesses in the United States, specifically those with fewer than 10 employees,
leaders may be skeptical of and resistant to the use of social media in their management
operations. Management literature does not indicate clear and effective guidelines and
policies detailing small marketing firms use of social media. The purpose of this
qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of small marketing firm leaders
about the resources and knowledge needed for effective use of social media as a
management tool. Emerson's social exchange theory grounded the study. The study
targeted owners and managers of small marketing firms in Dallas, Texas, with three to
five years of experience and firms who use social media in their firm management or
operations. Twenty-three participants satisfied the criteria. Data were collected through
interviews, questionnaires, and document reviews. Yin's 5-phase analysis was used to
analyze the data. The primary result of the study is that small businesses that use social
media in the Dallas, Texas, area reported various gains, including increased awareness
about their business, valuable customer feedback, and customer retention. The study may
have a positive social change impact by providing information on strategies and benefits
of using social media as a management tool not only to small marketing firms in Texas,
but also to very small businesses in other sectors.
Recommended Citation
Omolloh, Appolloh, "A Case Study on Social Media as an Effective Management Tool" (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 6362.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6362
