Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

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

School

Management

Advisor

Jorge D. Gaytan

Abstract

While small businesses contribute significantly to job creation in the United States, they fail financially at alarming rates. Fifty percent of small businesses survive 5 years or longer, and only one-third of small business startups survive more than 10 years. Owners of small businesses could benefit from strategies used to mitigate the small firms’ failure rate by obtaining suitable leadership values and skills, understanding the business’s nature, and engaging in financial planning. Grounded in Schumpeter’s entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies small home health business owners used to sustain their businesses beyond the first 5 years of operation. The participants comprised 3 small home health business owners in Northcentral Texas with successful experience sustaining their businesses beyond the first 5 years of operation. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and organizational documents, such as minutes of meetings, financial statements, training manuals, and staff schedules. Yin’s 5-step analysis process was used to analyze the data with 4 themes emerging: suitable leadership values and skills, effective staff management, effective customer service, and open and effective communication. A key recommendation is that business leaders understand the importance of personal values such as honesty and integrity toward achieving organizational sustainability. The implications for positive social change include the potential for small home healthcare business owners to increase revenue and provide more jobs, increasing the local tax base to sustain roads, libraries, parks, police, and other community services.

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