Date of Conferral
2019
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Business Administration
Advisor
Beverly C. Muhammad
Abstract
Small business operations contribute to economic growth and account for 110 million new jobs in the United States. Despite the increase in the number of businesses created in the United States, some business leaders fail to manage change effectively. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that some leaders of small businesses used to reduce employees' resistance to change. Lewin's 3-phase change theory served as the conceptual framework. The target population consisted of 3 successful leaders of small businesses in the central and southern region of Texas. Each participant had more than 5 years of experience and successfully used strategies to reduce employees' resistance to change in the workplace. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, review of company documents, and observations. Thematic coding, text/word queries, and a cross-case analysis revealed three central themes: communication, support, and evaluation. The implications of this study for positive social change include engaging employees in the change process, which might enhance the work environment and reduce employee stress and resistance to change. An improvement in a business leader's change management initiatives may generate beneficial outcomes for the businesses that may improve community growth through increased local employment rates.
Recommended Citation
Tombiri, Mary Erekiye, "Strategies Small Business Leaders Use to Reduce Employees' Resistance to Change" (2019). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 7436.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7436
