Strategic communication for social inclusion: how immigrant entrepreneurs navigate barriers to markets, services, and spaces

Immigrant entrepreneurs play a crucial role in economic and cultural vitality; yet, they face systemic barriers to social inclusion, manifested in equitable access to markets, services, and societal spaces of the host country. This study explores how immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada improve their social inclusion through strategic communication. Drawing on 24 in-depth interviews, the study used a theory-driven hybrid thematic analysis to examine communicative strategies across the three dimensions of social inclusion: markets, services, and societal spaces. The findings contribute to entrepreneurship and strategic communication scholarship by proposing a framework of Strategic Communication for Social Inclusion, positioning immigrant entrepreneurs as agentic communicators who use various strategies to overcome exclusion. We offer actionable insights for entrepreneurship scholars, ecosystem builders, and policymakers seeking to support inclusive business development.