Small Ethnic Restaurant Business Owner Strategies to Remain Operable Beyond 7 Years

Small Ethnic Restaurant Business Owner Strategies to Remain Operable Beyond 7 Years by Nam Phuong Le MScIB, University of Hertfordshire, UK, 2012 MBA, Vancouver Island University, Canada, 2011 BBA, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2010 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2015 Abstract The failure rate among small businesses is high. More than half of all small businesses fail within the first 7 years of operation. The purpose of this multi-case study was to explore the strategies that successful small ethnic restaurant owners employed to remain operable beyond 7 years. Three successful ethnic restaurant owners who have been operating their restaurant for at least 7 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada were selected. Data were gathered from participant interviews and from an examination of available physical artifacts such as the locations, premises, websites, and social media pages. The resource-based view by Edith Penrose was the underlying conceptual framework for this research. Within-method triangulation was used to ensure the rigorousness of the study. In the study, 5 themes were identified: hard work, interest or passion, family support, location, and food and service quality. These findings underscore the importance of hard work, business interest, family support, prime location, and quality food for successful small businesses. Current and future small ethnic restaurant business owners may apply these findings to improve their business performance and survival rate.The failure rate among small businesses is high. More than half of all small businesses fail within the first 7 years of operation. The purpose of this multi-case study was to explore the strategies that successful small ethnic restaurant owners employed to remain operable beyond 7 years. Three successful ethnic restaurant owners who have been operating their restaurant for at least 7 years in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada were selected. Data were gathered from participant interviews and from an examination of available physical artifacts such as the locations, premises, websites, and social media pages. The resource-based view by Edith Penrose was the underlying conceptual framework for this research. Within-method triangulation was used to ensure the rigorousness of the study. In the study, 5 themes were identified: hard work, interest or passion, family support, location, and food and service quality. These findings underscore the importance of hard work, business interest, family support, prime location, and quality food for successful small businesses. Current and future small ethnic restaurant business owners may apply these findings to improve their business performance and survival rate. Small Ethnic Restaurant Business Owner Strategies to Remain Operable Beyond 7 Years by Nam Phuong Le MScIB, University of Hertfordshire, UK, 2012 MBA, Vancouver Island University, Canada, 2011 BBA, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2010 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2015 Dedication To my family and friends for your love and support. Acknowledgments I would like to thank Dr. Carol-Anne Faint, Dr. Charles Needham, Dr. Rocky Dwyer, other instructors and classmates at Walden University for your tremendous support. Your mentorship and guidance have significantly contributed to my success. In addition, I would like to thank Dr. Freda Turner and Mr. Fred Walker for your leadership in the Doctor of Business Administration program.