Strategies to Sustain Small and Medium-size Manufacturing Enterprises in Jamaica

Strategies to Sustain Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises in Jamaica by Hugh Blake MBA, Barry University, 1995 BBA, University of Technology, 2005 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2018 Abstract Jamaica’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a high failure rate. In 2016, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recorded Jamaica's SME start-up rate at 4.06% and the discontinuance rate at 9%. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore the strategies some Jamaican SME owners used to achieve business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework used was the entrepreneurship theory, which provided insights into business sustainability. A purposive sample of 5 owners of SMEs who had achieved business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation were the participants in this study. Semistructured interviews of participants and review of company documents produced in-depth insights into the strategies they used to achieve business sustainability. Coding keywords, sentences, and ideas from the interviews and company documents and categorizing them was theJamaica’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have a high failure rate. In 2016, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) recorded Jamaica's SME start-up rate at 4.06% and the discontinuance rate at 9%. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive multiple case study was to explore the strategies some Jamaican SME owners used to achieve business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation. The conceptual framework used was the entrepreneurship theory, which provided insights into business sustainability. A purposive sample of 5 owners of SMEs who had achieved business sustainability in the manufacturing sector for longer than 5 years of operation were the participants in this study. Semistructured interviews of participants and review of company documents produced in-depth insights into the strategies they used to achieve business sustainability. Coding keywords, sentences, and ideas from the interviews and company documents and categorizing them was the approach taken for data analysis, using methodological triangulation. The themes from the study were entrepreneurial characteristics, competitive advantages, resource management, customer relationship management, quality management, and marketing. Implications for social change include the potential to provide strategies that support SMEs’ business sustainability and lead to greater job creation and ultimately the Jamaican government’s ability to fund social projects. Strategies to Sustain Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturing Enterprises in Jamaica by Hugh Blake MBA, Barry University, 1995 BBA, University of Technology, 2005 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University December 2018 Dedication I dedicate this study to my wife, Judith. Thanks for your support, love, and patience throughout this journey. I simply could not have done it without you. I also, wish to extend this dedication to my mother, whose love and admiration has been my main source of motivation. Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge my Chair, Dr. Brenda Jack, for her invaluable support and guidance throughout this process. I would also like to acknowledge my other committee members, Dr. Tim Truitt and Dr. Peter Anthony for their valued feedback and aspiring leadership.