dc.contributor.author	Sauers, Ryan Todd
dc.coverage.spatial	United States	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2020-2022	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2022-11-29T19:45:03Z
dc.date.available	2022-11-29T19:45:03Z
dc.date.issued	2022-11-29
dc.identifier.other	78B9E9CD-3C81-57B7-4554-6887AB1BD53D	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/6293
dc.description.abstract	The researcher explored the reasons why only 50% of new small businesses survive five or more years with the goal of determining the characteristics that led to success. This qualitative study focused on small business success with the purpose of exploring the life and career experiences of a select number of small business owners in a metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States. The conceptual framework and research design were based on Duckworth’s grit theory, Dweck’s growth mindset theory, Garmezy’s resilience theory, and Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. These theories were interconnected with transformation leadership theory as defined by Bass & Riggio (2006), Kouzes and Posner (2017), and Burns (1978). This study also explored the perceptions of small business owners regarding the most and least important personal characteristics needed to run a successful small business. The Seidman model of interviewing in a series served as the approach for data gathering. This approach included the following activities the researcher collected participant data using a series of interviews, observations, memos, field notes, and document analysis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, the research was adapted to identify changes required for small business owners to survive through a pandemic and qualities embedded in their lives before it began. Future recommendations include: conducting quantitative and mixed methods studies on small business success, using a larger participant pool, and conducting a longitudinal study to continue building best practices for success. Keywords: small business success, small business owner, entrepreneurship, leadership, pandemic, resilience	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: Introduction 1 -- Overview 1 -- Statement of Problem 2 -- Purpose Statement 5 -- Research Questions 6 -- Significance 7 -- Conceptual Framework 8 -- Summary of Methodology 13 -- Limitations 15 -- Definition of Terms 17 -- Chapter Summary 18 -- Chapter II: Literature Review 19 -- Overview of Small Business in the United States 20 -- Small Business Successes and Failures 20 -- Entrepreneurship 22 -- Theoretical Underpinnings of the Study 26 -- Grit Theory 26 -- Resilience Theory 28 -- Self-Efficacy Theory 29 -- Growth Mindset Theory 31 -- Small Business Leadership Theories 32 -- Transformational Leadership Theory 33 -- Transactional Leadership Theory 38 -- Trait Theory of Leadership 40 -- Servant Leadership Theory 42 -- Situational Leadership Theory 44 -- Small Business in the Time of COVID-19 45 -- Financial Hardships and Government Aid 46 -- Working From Home 48 -- Labor Shortages 49 -- COVID-19 Vaccine and Social Distancing 51 -- Future Expectations Regardless of COVID-19 52 -- Chapter Summary 54 -- Chapter III: Methodology 56 -- Research Questions 57 -- Research Design and Rationale 58 -- Setting 60 -- Role of the Researcher 61 -- Sampling Technique 62 -- Data Collection Procedures 64 -- Documents 67 -- Researcher Memos 68 -- Data Analysis Procedures 68 -- Issues of Trustworthiness 69 -- Credibility 70 -- Transferability 71 -- Dependability 71 -- Confirmability 72 -- Ethical Procedures 72 -- Summary 73 -- Chapter IV: Participants 74 -- Participants 75 -- Chapter Summary 106 -- Chapter V: Results 107 -- Description of Themes 111 -- Strong Work Ethic in all Experiences 112 -- Lifelong Guiding Mantras and Expressions 112 -- Real-World Employee Experiences 113 -- Childhood Family Ingrained Expectations 115 -- Real-Word Employer Experiences 117 -- Growth Mindset Approach to Life Success 118 -- Strategist 118 -- Continuous Learning 119 -- Achievement Orientation 121 -- Creativity 122 -- Resilience in Response to Adversity 124 -- Passion 124 -- Tenacity 125 -- Self-Confidence 127 -- Optimism 128 -- Leadership Style Built on Trust and Relationships 129 -- Integrity 130 -- Excellent Communicator 131 -- Honest Reputation 132 -- Consistency 133 -- COVID-19 Pandemic 134 -- Chapter Summary 138 -- Chapter VI: Conclusion 140 -- Research Questions: Summary Discussion 143 -- Research Question 1 Discussion 143 -- Research Question 2 Discussion 150 -- Research Question 3 Discussion 155 -- Study Limitations 158 -- Implications 160 -- COVID-19 160 -- Aspiring Small Business Owners 161 -- Current Small Business Owners 162 -- Executive Coaching and Consulting Firms 163 -- K-12 Education 163 -- Higher Education 164 -- Recommendations 164 -- Conduct Mixed Methods or Quantitative Studies 164 -- Three-Part Interview Series 165 -- Increase Sample Size and Parameters 165 -- Conduct a Longitudinal Study 165 -- Conclusion 166 -- References 170 -- Appendix A: Interview Questions 191	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document and derivatives, 212 pages. 1550917 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Adult education	en_US
dc.subject	Business education	en_US
dc.subject	COVID-19 Pandemic (2020-)	en_US
dc.subject	Dissertations, Academic--United States	en_US
dc.subject	Entrepreneurship	en_US
dc.subject	Leadership	en_US
dc.subject	Organizational resilience	en_US
dc.subject	Pandemics	en_US
dc.subject	Small business--Growth	en_US
dc.subject	Small business	en_US
dc.title	A Qualitative Study of Small Business Owners' Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Long-term Business Success Amid a Pandemic	en_US
dc.type	Dissertation	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Leadership, Technology, & Workforce Development of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Truby, William F.
dc.description.committee	Lairsey, John D.
dc.description.committee	Haralson, J. Shawn
dc.description.committee	Reichert, Laine
dc.description.degree	Ed.D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Education in Leadership	en_US