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.

Failure is an issue with small businesses globally; some owners of small businesses lack the knowledge of business administration and marketing strategies necessary to help ensure success. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what marketing strategies some coffee shop owners use to sustain business operations during the first 5 years of operation. The targeted population consisted of 5 coffee shop owners in Arkansas who successfully implemented marketing strategies to sustain business operations during the first 5 years of operation. Goldsmith's 8Ps of marketing mix was the conceptual framework used in the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review of publicly available data and company websites. Data were analyzed using the principles of the content analysis method, which included identifying codes and themes. Findings indicated owners of successful coffee shops were actively engaged in the day-to-day business operations and in the community; provided premium products; used social media for marketing, promotion, and branding; used competitive pricing; were precise about the location; provided exceptional customer service and personalization, and had points of marketing differentiation to promote their brand. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to support the welfare of the citizens of Arkansas, and owners of coffee shops across the United States that could provide independent coffee shop owners with marketing strategies necessary to sustain business operations, contribute to new job creation and regional economic sustainability.

Access to growth capital, a critical factor for growing a successful, sustainable business, is a challenge for women-owned small businesses. Following the resource based theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore what capital growth strategies 6 small women-owned business leaders in the defense industry in Dayton, Ohio used to ensure business sustainability beyond the initial start-up period of 1 year. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Methodological triangulation, member checking, reflexivity, and an audit trail were used to strengthen credibility and trustworthiness. Based on thematic analysis of the data, emergent themes included growth strategies, risk, and cultivate relationships. Participants pursued low-cost slow-growth strategies to remain viable in a highly competitive marketplace; mitigated risk by aligning business decisions with their strategic plans and diversifying their business and customer base; and cultivated relationships with government agencies, customers, partners, and employees to obtain capital to sustain and grow their businesses. The implications for positive social change include the potential to provide women-owned small business leaders with strategies to obtain growth capital necessary for sustainability, contributing to economic growth of businesses, employees, employees' families, and communities.

In Nigeria, 92% of retirees live in poverty because of insufficient preparation for entrepreneurship that could serve as an alternative income in retirement. Guided by the human capital theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore how 15 civil service employees in Grade Levels 15-17 at the public service attained small scale business information before retirement. All employees had knowledge, training, and experience in small-scale business operation. Fifteen employees participated in individual interviews and 5 participated in a focus group; data were also gathered from, employee training records, organizational policy documents on training, and public service documents regarding capacity building. Using Yin's 5 step data analysis process, member checking, and triangulation, key findings emerged on financial institutions, mentoring, and vocational training opportunities as avenues employees can attain small scale business information required for entrepreneurship. The study findings may create awareness on how employees can attain small scale business information regarding sources of funding, mentorship, and vocational training during their final years of employment. This awareness may promote positive social change by preparing these individuals for entrepreneurship in retirement, thereby reducing the rate of post-retirement poverty.

Ghana has experienced an unprecedented failure of microfinance institutions. Within a period of 8 years from 2011 to 2019, the Bank of Ghana has revoked the license of over 489 microfinance institutions. The purpose of the exploratory multiple case study was to explore strategies that microfinance managers apply to mitigate the effects of crisis to remain sustainable. The targeted population was composed of owner-managers from 6 microfinance companies in Ghana and 6 consultants who overcame the microfinance crisis and remained in practice. The situational crisis communication theory and the team leadership model were the conceptual frameworks for this study. Methodological triangulation was used to support the review and analysis of data from structured interviews, focus group discussions, and relevant company documents. Data were analyzed using NVivo to provide alphanumeric coding, and thematic analysis was used to support the identification of themes and subthemes, which were organized and linked to the crisis phenomenon to identify the 5 emerged themes: governance, communication, fundraising, cost reduction, and business model strategies. The study findings may contribute to social change by building confidence in the financial system, making microfinance services available to the lower end market. There may be more historical crisis effect mitigation strategies and evidence available to practitioners, entrepreneurs leading to job creation and sustainable businesses globally. These findings could provide insights for business leaders, owners-managers, the board of directors, practitioners and regulatory bodies to develop strategies to help their institutions survive in crises.

Small businesses are considered the backbone of the U.S. economy with significant contributions in the areas of job creation and economic development. However, 79% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years. This multiple case study aimed to explore strategies and knowledge of resources that owners of small businesses used to sustain business operations for longer than the first 5 years. The population included 5 minority owners of small businesses in Texas. Chaos theory formed the conceptual framework. The data collection process included semistructured interviews, member checks, field notes, company artifacts, and archival documents. Data were analyzed using Yin's data analysis steps of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. Three themes emerged from the analysis: effective management of the business environment, effective planning, and business owners' skills and knowledge. The U.S. Small Business Administration, local chambers of commerce, and owners of small businesses may benefit from the findings of this study by gaining an understanding of successful minority owners of small businesses' implemented strategies that enable business success and profitability. The implications of this study for positive social change include identifying sustainable strategies minority owners of small businesses can use to advance business growth, increase financial security, achieve employee job sustainability, and potentially stimulate the local community with job creation.

Successful independent coffee shop owners in Washington struggle to compete with the larger coffee shop chains. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to investigate what strategies owners of independent coffee shops in Washington use to survive beyond the first 5 years. Five independent coffee shop owners in Washington participated in the study and shared their practices and observations. Systems theory directed the study exploring the perspectives of successful independent coffee shop owners in Washington. Using communication skills and personal availability to answer questions and remain in contact throughout the research process built a rapport with participants. Data were gathered from participant interviews and from an examination of available physical artifacts such as the locations, premises, websites, and social media pages. Within-method triangulation was used to ensure the participant interview data were interpreted with credibility and transparency. Three primary themes appeared from the study: community involvement, customer loyalty, and location. Encouraging community involvement generates product awareness, which creates new business. Based on the independent coffee shop owners' descriptions, community involvement, customer loyalty, and location were important strategies to increase profits. The implications for social change include added community involvement, customer loyalty, and location. Involvement in the community generated revenue, customer loyalty, and community opportunities. Independent coffee shop owners may remain sustainable by incorporating these strategies.

In Kenya, a 2013 presidential directive reserved 30% of government procurement opportunities for enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to promote economic empowerment; however, as of 2016, female entrepreneurs continued to be outpaced by their male counterparts. The lack of policy evaluation from the female entrepreneur perspective limits the ability to assess progress and identify obstacles. Through purposeful sampling and semistructured interviews, this qualitative phenomenological study obtained the perceptions of the implementation and impact of Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) on economic empowerment from the perspective of 20 female entrepreneurs in Kenya previously awarded procurement contracts. Responses were coded and analyzed thematically using Moustakas's modified van Kaam method in the context of the policy feedback theory and empowerment. Five themes emerged from the female entrepreneurs' experiences: (a) enhanced economic empowerment; (b)improved potential to earn new government contracts motivated enrollment in the AGPO; (c) access to business development services enhanced competitiveness to obtain government tenders; (d) negative financial impact due to government-delayed payments for goods and services; and (e) success impeded by procurement officers' incompetence, corruption and harassment. Social change may be promoted through the economic empowerment of women being maximized with stronger implementation and regulation of this affirmative policy primarily through a streamlined application process, prompt payments for services rendered, flexible funding, and regulated competent and ethical procurement practices.

The Malaysian property development industry contends with economic challenges arising from increased competition and property glut in the market. The situation is further worsen by the onslaught of world disasters for example tsunamis, earthquakes, bird flu pandemic and terrorist attacks, thus weakening the spending power of property buyers and investors. This exploratory research therefore investigated the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in enhancing customer service for sustainable competitive advantage. Guided by an analytical framework, it reviewed the key issues in the context of customer service within the Malaysian property development industry, the existing challenges faced by Malaysian property development companies, emotional intelligence (EQ) and training and development.The identified research gaps permitted the crafting of three Research Propositions. The combined outputs from the literature review, analysis of the research data and conclusions provided useful insights on the research problem. The case study methodology, supplemented by two other categories of exploratory research, namely experience surveys and one-on-one interviews, were the research techniques used to test the research propositions.The participants involved in the experience survey and one-on-one interviews included Heads of Department from the case-study company, Frontline employees, existing clients and vendors supplying goods and services to the case-study company. The procedure of data analysis consisted of examining, categorising, tabulating and recombining the evidence to address the research problem and the related research questions.The testing, by this research, yielded useful insights on the research problem.First, in order for Malaysian property developers to gain a sustainable competitive advantage, there is a need for fresh emphasis and commitment towards customer service, placing special focus on the development of employees in the area of emotional intelligence (EQ) through the reinforcement of emotional competencies. Despite efforts to enhance customer service through training programmes, the lack of effectiveness needs to be addressed and new measures should be undertaken.Second, the need for Malaysian property development companies to understand the importance of building a service culture and to begin by formulating and implementing a service strategy and it is here that leadership plays a critical role in ensuring the success of every customer service programme throughout the entire organisation. This suggests that new approaches to creating a service culture are necessary, benchmarking with best practices of service leaders around the world, even from different industries. Third, the need for the customer service training model to be reviewed and revamped. It calls for new emphasis on the development of emotional intelligence (EQ) competencies, to ensure training effectiveness and the achievement of customer service excellence through human capital.Finally, the research findings permitted the construct of a policy framework for securing sustainable competitive advantage. The research yielded useful insights for theory and model building. In respect of enhancing customer service to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the Malaysian property development market, the research findings suggested a Service Culture Development Model that will ensure that customer service excellence can be maintained and delivered consistently, leading to a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. In respect of enhancing customer service through the development of EQ competencies in every employee and throughout the organisation, the research findings suggested a new Customer Service Training Model, where EQ competencies development programme becomes the pre-requisite foundational programme for all employees, prior to the training of customer service skill-sets. In order to create a service culture throughout the entire organisation, a customer service-oriented organisation will ensure that all employees, including top management personnel, participate in the EQ development programme.Follow-up research to test a model, based on this framework should further contribute to new theory development in emotional intelligence impacting customer service in the Malaysian property development industry.

This thesis examines the social impact of wildlife conservation nonprofits (WCNs) in the United States and Ecuador. Cultural developments of environmentalism provide the social context for WCNs, informing trends in participation and conflict. WCNs rely on public support and engagement to advance their mission, which requires an image of legitimacy and healthy organizational culture. This thesis argues the relationship between WCNs and the public impacts their organizational sustainability and their success as a conservation institution.