The Evolution of Social Space and Boundaries: The Case of Small High Technology Firms

Abstract

This paper reports the research findings for understanding social space and boundaries in small high technology firms within the context of creative leadership phenomena. Inspired by space and boundary theories, this study explored the concepts of entrepreneurship through small high technology ventures and the meaning given to space and boundaries by the leaders and followers as an inter-subjective phenomenon. By examining the ways the leaders and followers interact and the different forms of conversations and discourses that are being used by the leaders and followers, it is expected that the reality behind entrepreneurship, and the social space and boundaries could be uncovered. This study utilised a qualitative approach that adopts a phenomenological symbolic interactionism theoretical background. Specifically, this study employs a narrative inquiry method to capture the language and meaning in order to understand how social space and boundaries are constructed in small high technology firms. This study found that the social space of small high technology firms are constructed through trust, support, respect, recognition, and a democratic power relation. The findings indicate that the social boundaries of small high technology firms have a sense of companionship. This study contributes to a new knowledge that explains the space and boundaries of the social environment in the field of entrepreneurship.