Extended Mind: Uncovering Entrepreneurial Interactions and Cognitive Dynamics with Boundary Objects
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2013-08-11
Author(s)
Abstract
We re-conceptualize the entrepreneurial process through a boundary object lens, positioning business ideas, entrepreneurial opportunities, business models, prototypes and business plans as entrepreneurial artifacts. Viewed this way, entrepreneurial artifacts serve a primarily cognitive and interactional purpose, in contrast with the dominant instrumental view in the entrepreneurship literature. Building on prior boundary object literature, we distinguish between syntactic/semantic and pragmatic boundary objects and explain their functionalities related to transferring, translating and transforming knowledge in an entrepreneurial process. We explain which boundary object characteristics influence interaction quality. Moreover, we introduce the extended mind theory to entrepreneurship, which enables us to uncover mechanisms of boundary objects in cognition and interaction – an aspect that has remained opaque in the literature to date. With our dual process model, we not only advance the understanding of entrepreneurial cognition and boundary objects, but also the impact of extended mind mechanisms. In doing so, we advance theory on a critical current issue in entrepreneurship research – the action-interaction nexus.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Book title
ACAD MANAGE PROC January 2013 (Meeting Abstract Supplement)
Publisher
Academy of Management (AOM)
Publisher place
New York
Event Title
73rd Academy of Management Annual Meeting (AOM) 2013 "Capitalism in Question"
Event Location
Orlando, FL
Event Date
09.-13.08.2013
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
225066