Integrated business strategies in Islamic boarding School-based businesses: a qualitative phenomenological study on human resource management, cooperation, marketing, production, and finance

The current pesantren is not only an educational and da’wah institution, but also develops business units to achieve economic independence based on Islamic values and social responsiveness. However, a comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of such efforts is still limited, mainly due to varied and sometimes unprofessional management practices, resulting in low economic efficiency. Studies on the integration of strategies such as human resource management, partnerships, marketing, production, and finance in the context of pesantren are also still minimal. Therefore, this research is important to fill these gaps and design a sustainable and independent pesantren business model. This study aims to identify and describe integrated business strategies applied in pesantren-based businesses, with a focus on human resource management, partnerships, marketing, production, and finance, using a phenomenological qualitative approach. The phenomenological qualitative research method was carried out with eight respondents, through in-depth interviews and participatory observation. The data analysis used a four-stage process from Amadeo Giorgi and NVivo 15. The study identifies five key strategies, including trust-based marketing, partnership networking, HR development, value-oriented production, and digital financial management. This strategy encourages the sustainability and economic independence of Islamic boarding schools based on Islamic values. This study enriches the literature on pesantren management, offers an applicable value-based strategy model, and emphasizes that the success of pesantren business is not only seen from material benefits but also from its blessings and social benefits.