Survival Strategies for Owners of Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya

Survival Strategies for Owners of Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya by Samuel Too MBA, Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, 2008 BCom, University of Nairobi, 1996 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University October 2019 Abstract Micro and small enterprise (MSE) owners in Kenya are faced with a myriad of constraints that affect their survival for longer than the first 5 years. Owners of MSEs who are unable to identify and implement strategies may not succeed in sustaining their businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of MSEs in Nairobi, Kenya, used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. TheMicro and small enterprise (MSE) owners in Kenya are faced with a myriad of constraints that affect their survival for longer than the first 5 years. Owners of MSEs who are unable to identify and implement strategies may not succeed in sustaining their businesses. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies owners of MSEs in Nairobi, Kenya, used to sustain their businesses for longer than 5 years. The conceptual framework for the study was the theory of constraints. Data were collected from 4 purposefully selected MSE owners in Nairobi, Kenya, through face-to-face, semistructured interviews, and review of field notes and company documents. Using thematic data analysis, the major themes that emerged were customer service, access to capital, and nearness to market. The implications of this study for positive social change include strategies for MSE owners to generate stable income for employees, new employment opportunities for job seekers, improved standards of healthcare and education for the community, and a positive lifestyle for the residents of Kenya. Survival Strategies for Owners of Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya by Samuel Too MBA, Eastern and Southern African Management Institute, 2008 BCom, University of Nairobi, 1996 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University October 2019 Dedication I dedicate this doctoral study to my dearest family for their support and prayers. To my wife Emily for her true love, commitment, and continuous encouragement even when I doubted my strength. My daughter Tracy Too, who continuously checked on my progress while pursuing her studies. My son Ted Too who amazed me with his use of technology and kept reminding me to keep it simple. My son Titus Too for always reminding me to focus on the ultimate prize, the graduation day so that he can travel again to America. I also thank my entire extended family members for their encouragement and motivation. I give glory, thanks, and honor to my Almighty God for his provision, care, and protection during my entire journey. I went through the mountains and valleys, and in all circumstances, my God granted me victory. May Your name be always praised in Jesus name, Amen. Acknowledgments I want to thank the Almighty God for his love, care, and mercies that saw me complete this doctoral study. I am sincerely grateful and indebted to my Chair, Dr. Patsy Kasen, for the continuous encouragement that helped me focus even when I was about to give up. Thank you for your patience, time, and commitment that enabled me to finish my study. To the second committee members Dr. Mary Weber and Dr. Yvette Ghormely, for their invaluable support with timely feedback and words of encouragement. Thank you, Dr. David Blum, URR for your sharp reviews, attention to detail, and timely feedback that sharpened my focus on the process to meet the standards. Special thanks to Dr. Susan Davis and Dr. Freda Turner for program direction during my study. I would not have been here without the influential faculty members from Walden University. Special thanks to my friend Dr. JP Ong'ondi for his encouragement to soldier on and his sacrifice to proofread my work that helped me reached my best. I thank my classmates for their support with feedback during various cohort sessions. More importantly, I thank God and my family, who made this whole journey more endurable and became my pillar and source of strength when I was almost down.