Exploring the Lived Meaning of Strategic Communication in Sustainability-Oriented Entrepreneurship: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Approach
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Abstract
Organizational communication has increasingly been recognized as a core element shaping innovation, leadership, and sustainability in contemporary entrepreneurship. Within this evolving field, the subjective experiences of entrepreneurs in constructing meaning through strategic communication remain insufficiently understood, especially in contexts where ethical and environmental values intersect with business objectives. However, most existing studies rely on rational or quantitative models that fail to capture the lived experiences underlying communicative decision-making. This study addresses this gap by asking: How do entrepreneurs experience and interpret strategic communication in sustainability-oriented decision-making? Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, the study explores the lived experiences of ten Indonesian entrepreneurs engaged in sustainability-driven enterprises. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure information-rich cases aligned with IPA methodological requirements, and each semi-structured interview lasted between 60–90 minutes to allow deep exploration of meaning-making processes. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed hermeneutically to uncover the meanings participants ascribe to their communicative practices. The findings reveal that communication functions not merely as a managerial tool but as a reflective and relational process through which entrepreneurs negotiate values, construct authenticity, and integrate sustainability into strategic choices. The analysis identifies three essential themes: communicative leadership, meaning-making in decision-making, and reflexivity in ethical identity construction. These insights advance understanding of communication as a process of meaning construction central to sustainable entrepreneurship. The study highlights the need for future research to explore cross-cultural variations in communicative experiences, deepening theoretical and practical perspectives on how communication shapes ethical and sustainable business practices.
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