Creating space for play/invention - Concepts of space and organizational entrepreneurship

Summary, in English

This paper focuses on how one can relate management thinking/practices to entrepreneurial processes in the context of formal organization. In order to do this we develop a number of related 'spatial concepts' providing us with the possibility of describing entrepreneurship as a 'creation and use of space for play/innovation'. Using concepts of space, the managerial and the entrepreneurial dimensions and perspectives on organizing creativity become highly visible in the case studied. This is a field study (within the ethnographic tradition) focusing on an organizational transformation of a former public authority into a competitive limited company. A distinction between managerialism and 'entrepreneurship as event' is proposed as conceptually fruitful as well as useful for discussing recommendations to managers for how to handle entrepreneurial processes. A minimal and contextual role for management is suggested when aspiring to support the creations of space for play/invention, for example, for entrepreneurship as forms of organizational creativity.

• Author: Daniel Hjorth
• Publishing year: 2004-09
• Language: English
• Pages: 413-432
• Publication/Series: Entrepreneurship and Regional Development
• Volume: 16
• Issue: 5
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0898562042000197144
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Business Administration
• Keywords: De Certeau; Entrepreneurship; Invention; Organization; Space; Strategy/tactics
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 0898-5626