Identifier

etd-07052016-075046

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Human Resource Education and Workforce Development

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected factors that influence small business owners’ perceived obstacles to strategic planning in Louisiana small businesses. This study was guided by five research objectives. To achieve the study purpose, the researcher developed The Perceived Obstacles to Strategic Planning Inventory, which consisted of four scales, measuring perceptions using a six point Likert-type response scale in addition to various demographic factors. An important finding was that of the 70 respondents, only 34.3% had a written long-term plan and the majority (67.1%) of respondents fell below a four on the interpretive scale suggesting they perceived that their organizations did not conduct strategic planning. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between “the perceived degree to which the organization conducts strategic planning” and each of the following scales measuring obstacles to strategic planning 1) “perceived quality of the organization’s employees.” 2) “leadership has knowledge of the planning process,” and 3) “perceived available time the organization has to strategically plan.” Lastly, a model was identified explaining a significant portion of the variance in, “the perceived degree to which the organization conducts strategic planning.” Based on the impact of the “perceived quality of the organization’s employees,” scale the researcher concluded that the majority of small businesses felt that their employees were technically competent. Since the majority of the organizations did not plan, but have technically competent employees, the implication is that technical competence alone does not provide a business with everything they need to accomplish long-term goals and purposes. Therefore, other factors must be influencing their decision. One potential factor is emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence might be defined as making a conscious decision regarding behavior despite one’s emotional state. This behavior is associated with self-awareness, and those who are self-aware are conscious of their strengths and weaknesses and are able to avoid irrational thinking and impulsive behavior. Thus their thinking, is in essence, strategic. The researcher recommends further investigation into the relationship between strategic planning and other factors such as emotional intelligence of business owners/managers.

Date

2016

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Burnett, Michael

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.3056

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