Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in 2010 prompted the question of how independent businesses may react to the employer mandate in the PPACA. The law is based on the theory of managed competition and it is more likely to affect businesses with fewer employees than to affect larger businesses that already offer health insurance. The purpose of this quantitative, pre-experimental study was to examine the strategic responses of independent retail business owners in Hillsborough County, Florida, regarding their perceptions of the employer mandate in the PPACA. Before 2014, there was a great deal of non-peer-reviewed literature in which researchers made predictions about the PPACA and independent business perceptions regarding the new law. To determine independent business owners' perceptions of and strategies for addressing the PPACA, a random sample of 309 independent retail businesses in Hillsborough County was invited by e-mail to participate in an online survey. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests for hypothesis testing, and chi-square goodness-of-fit analyses to confirm the results without using means. None of the alternative hypotheses were supported, indicating that the PPACA may not have an adverse effect on job creation for independent retail businesses in Hillsborough County. The findings of this study can indirectly promote positive social change by communicating to independent business owners and individuals that healthcare insurance options exist. This question was important to academics and business professionals, because the strategies employed by business owners may affect job creation.

Funding is one of the most critical resources high potential technology startup (HPTS) ventures need to achieve success. Some startup founders lack access to capital, a critical resource for HPTS founders to create value for customers and capture value for their organizations. Capital constraints can hinder business performance, endanger growth and the ability to grow and scale into the global markets. This multiple case study explored the strategies HPTS firms used to access capital to grow and scale into global markets. Mishra's venture capital investment model and Blank's customer development model served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semistructured face-to-face interviews, direct observations, member checking, and a reflective journal. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling of 5 founders from the Silicon Valley of California, who were involved in equity finance decisions in the last 5 years. Yin's 5-step data analysis plan was used in the final data analysis. Eight themes emerged from the study: capital constraint; identification of potential investors; collaboration, guidance, and support; investment potential; investment thesis; measurement of success; passion and preparedness; and prevention of stock dilution. The findings of this study have implications for positive social change. HPTS ventures can use the study findings to gain approval of investment proposals and increase ventures that create value for customers and for the organizations.

Leaders of minority-owned businesses earn less revenue on average than their nonminority counterparts, even when both sets of leaders operate in the same industries. Among the factors leading to this earnings discrepancy is the lack of access that leaders of minority-owned businesses have to high-revenue opportunities. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that some leaders of minority-owned small businesses use to compete for contracts in high-revenue industries. The study population comprised 3 owners of minority-owned small marketing consultancy firms headquartered in the Southeastern United States. Teece and Pisano’s dynamic capabilities view served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and the review of company documents. The data analysis process included member checking to ensure credibility of the interpretation of the information gathered during the interviews, and methodological triangulation of the data sources to establish data validity. Four themes emerged from the analysis: positioning and targeting, capabilities and competencies, pricing and returns, and relevancy and longevity. The themes are critical success factors for competing for contracts in high-revenue industries and may be beneficial to the leaders of minority-owned small businesses in seeking contracts in similar or parallel industries. Leaders who apply the study findings may earn incremental revenues to effect positive social change through additional job creation and community development activities, benefiting local economies and residents.

In the United States, immigrant entrepreneurs start almost one third of all new businesses. However, many immigrant entrepreneurs lack the knowledge or expertise to evolve their businesses beyond the ethnic enclave where the businesses are located. This multiple case study captured the strategies used by 5 Latino immigrant business owners who successfully expanded their business beyond their ethnic enclave. The conceptual framework for this study was dynamic capabilities theory. Data were collected from interviews, company documents, and observations of the operation of businesses and owners. Member checking and transcript reviews were used to enhance the reliability and credibility of the data. Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's data analysis method was used to identify 6 themes that yielded 3 possible strategies to help Latino immigrant business owners expand outside of their enclave: (a) adopt a multicultural hybridism model changing the internal make-up of the employee base to include more interethnic labor and managerial resources; (b) achieve language and cultural proficiency of the host community; and (c) seek and nurture professional development and mentorship relationships to obtain access to advice, opportunities, and financial resources. Also noted was the importance of individual readiness to seize opportunities and being tenacious in their business efforts. The study findings may contribute to positive social change because strategies that help immigrant entrepreneurs succeed have benefits that extend beyond their immediate family to the broader communities in which they operate by increasing job creation, wealth accumulation, and the development of society.

Family businesses including copreneurships have a high failure rate. Copreneurs experience work-family conflict (WFC), which can have a negative effect on business sustainability. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that copreneurs used in managing WFC to achieve business sustainability for longer than 10 years. Three copreneurs from 3 copreneurial businesses located in the Greater Accra region of Ghana, who have employed effective strategies to cope with WFC to achieve business sustainability longer than 10 years, participated in the study. The WFC model for business/marriage partners (copreneurs) and the reciprocal coping model served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and a reflective journal. The data were analyzed using the framework of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and making conclusions. Emerging themes included strategy themes of personal coping, family-friendly organizational supports, and integrated coping. The implications for positive social change include the potential to help copreneurs use strategies identified to manage WFC to improve business sustainability, which may contribute to wealth creation and poverty reduction in the local economy.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the main drivers of economic growth and employment. African SMEs are constrained by a lack of access to finance. In line with the pecking order theory, capital-constrained SMEs are expected to seek external finance. However, due to credit rationing, African SMEs have limited success raising finance. Factoring could enable African SMEs to gain access to finance, as underwriters mainly place the risk on the receivables as opposed to the firm itself. Despite its benefits, factoring has not taken root in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the obstacles and prospects to stimulating awareness, availability, acceptance, and utilization of factoring in Africa. Data on the lived experiences of 22 executives providing or promoting factoring in 16 African countries were collected through semistructured interviews; these data were analyzed using the Braun and Clarke thematic approach. Four themes emerged: supply-side conditions, demand-side conditions, business environment conditions, and facilitating institutions and industries. Results suggest high factoring prospects, legal and regulatory impediments, low awareness levels, reluctance of banks to avail factoring, high entry barriers for nonbank factors, a lack of credit insurance, and a lack of an open account trade culture. A framework was recommended, based on these findings, along with actions for factoring development in Africa. Implications for positive social change include increased awareness which may boost factoring availability, acceptance, and utilization. Improved financing options may yield improved African SME competitiveness, which in turn, may result in improved job opportunities, household incomes, quality of life, and more broadly, Africa's economic growth.

Pharmaceutical companies accrued fines of over $30 billion within 25 years because of noncompliance with regulations. Noncompliance with regulations results in fines and an adverse impact on company profitability. Some pharmaceutical company managers lack effective strategies to ensure overall company compliance with regulation. Based on complexity leadership theory, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies pharmaceutical company managers used to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements in Nigeria. The target population was functional managers purposely selected because they had successfully implemented strategies for compliance with the regulatory requirements in Nigeria. Data were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews with 4 company managers and from company records, regulatory documents, and websites. Analysis of data involved using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis tools and content analysis to code and identify patterns and themes. Findings revealed 3 prominent themes: establishment of regulatory affairs unit and engaged leadership; hiring of qualified of employees, training, and continuous learning; and strategies to navigate through barriers to enhance regulatory compliance. The implications for positive social change lie in the availability of affordable pharmaceutical products with implications for the overall health of communities. Compliance with regulatory requirements helps to ensure that pharmaceutical companies develop high quality and safe products, which are critical in healthcare leading to the prevention and cure of diseases, which will ultimately improve and save people's lives.

Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business owners influence the growth and development of sub-Saharan Africa and the welfare of its citizens. However, SME owners often lack the strategies to access and obtain invoice factoring financing to fund their businesses. Guided by the pecking order theory and the credit rationing theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that 3 SME owners in Kenya used to access and obtain invoice factoring financing to fund their businesses. Data were collected from in-depth semistructured Skype interviews and organizational documents. Data were analyzed using the Krippendorff content analysis methodology. Member checking was used to validate the interview responses and enhance the credibility of results. Three strategy themes emerged from data analysis: proper documentation, effective third-party relationships, and connections with government officials. The study may contribute to positive social change for SME owners in sub-Saharan Africa by providing actionable strategies they can use to access and obtain invoice factoring financing to fund and sustain their businesses. Citizens of Kenya may experience more job opportunities, improved quality of life, increased household incomes, and sustained economic growth.

Despite defibrillation as the only effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), less than 15% of homes and public facilities have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED). In the United States, ineffective response to SCA cases occurring each year classifies it as a business problem for medical device manufacturing leaders, emergency responders, and bystanders. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore the marketing strategies AED manufacturing leaders use to expand their consumer customer base. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of participants from 2 U.S. AED manufacturers on the east coast, 2 AED distributors, and 2 healthcare corporations in Texas, as well as a review of company materials. The framework for this study was product life cycle theory. Initial findings for expanding the U.S. AED market indicated that the market was not led by its manufacturers but by its distributors. This finding became an important theme noted from AED manufacturers in considering the consumer segment, an aftermarket from commercial marketing strategies. A common concern for the security of strategic marketing was evident across the AED manufacturer participants with reluctance to discuss business models and marketing plans. A congruent theme was the curtailment of open discussions regarding AED marketing strategies because of security and confidentiality risk. Also, limited number of approved AED manufacturers by the Federal Drug Administration minimizes AED access. Residual outcomes include improving the quality of life for the aging population while reducing the loss of the lives and costs of healthcare. Social implications include preventing sudden cardiac death by providing more accessibility of AEDs to baby boomers.

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.