The Role of Boundary Objects in Entrepreneurship: Moving Towards an Interaction-Learning Nexus
Journal
Academy of Management Proceedings
ISSN
2151-6561
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2016-08
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
We activate the concept of entrepreneurial opportunity, asking the critical question of ‘what do entrepreneurs do with opportunities?’ This fresh perspective takes the concept of opportunity, currently stalled in the literature, into two important new directions of interaction and learning. We argue that one of the active roles of an entrepreneur is to objectify an opportunity, articulating it in some concrete boundary object form to facilitate interaction with a range of stakeholders. Doing so kicks off a cycle of interaction and learning, by which entrepreneurs and stakeholders reflect on and transform various boundary objects that embody an entrepreneurial opportunity. In the process, opportunity takes an actionable shape that advances the creation of a new venture, while simultaneously advancing the entrepreneur’s understanding of how new ventures come to be. We illuminate the co-participative learning mechanisms that underlie how boundary objects operate in a theoretical model that builds on prior research on boundary objects and learning and derive propositions on how boundary objects mediate entrepreneurial interaction.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SoM - Business Innovation
Publisher
Academy of Management (AOM)
Event Title
76th Academy of Management Annual Meeting (AOM) 2016 "Making Organizations Meaningful"
Event Location
Anaheim, CA, USA
Event Date
05.-09.08.2016
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
248271