Date of Conferral

2-4-2026

Degree

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)

School

Management

Advisor

Denise Land

Abstract

Many businesses in the information and communications industry fail within the first 5 years, yet the existing empirical research has not sufficiently explained how surviving businesses achieve long-term sustainability. Startup business leaders are concerned about the high failure rate and the lack of evidence-based strategies that support sustained operations beyond 5 years. Grounded in Porter’s five forces theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project was to identify and explore successful strategies that information and communications industry startup business leaders use for long-term business sustainability beyond 5 years. Purposeful sampling was employed to select six startup leaders in the Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas metroplex information and communications industry, whose businesses had sustained operations for at least 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured interviews, publicly available industry reports, and published company statements. Four principal themes resulted from the thematic analysis: (a) operational and financial sustainability; (b) human capital and organizational capability; (c) market, innovation, and competitive strategy; and (d) customer-centric strategies. A key recommendation for startup business leaders is to institutionalize strategic agility by making agile management systems integral parts of their organizations. The implications for positive social change include the potential to promote innovation, benefiting business owners, employees, and the broader community.

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