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2025 AOM Annual Meeting

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21856: Addressing the “Spatial Turn” in Entrepreneurship Research: New Dimensions and Emerging Issues

Saturday, July 26, 2025
08:30 - 10:30 CEST (GMT+2)
Location: Bella Center: Hall B- B0-m5
Session Type: PDW (workshop)
Orientation: Research
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/vaAMvJ
Although it is well established that entrepreneurial activity is embedded within spatial contexts, in many respects, scholars continue to underplay the significance of spatiality in entrepreneurship research. In particular, scholars have principally sought to dimensionalize macro-level considerations, such as the relative proximity between entrepreneurs, ventures, resources, and customers. While clearly important, this “contextual accounting” approach is less attuned to the more nuanced, but equally critical, ways in which spatiality also serves as the raw material, essential substance, and target of entrepreneurial action. More recently, however, scholars have sought to rectify this oversight – both theoretically and empirically – by joining other social sciences in recognizing the need for a “spatial turn” in entrepreneurship research; one that elevates and embraces spatiality as an indispensable contributor to entrepreneurial decisions, actions, and outcomes. Yet, there is still a long way to go in this regard. Wholesale adoptions of extant theories from fields such as sociology, social psychology, architecture, urban design, and geography are problematic and, in some cases, errant, if applied in unfiltered fashion to key phenomena in business venturing. To that end, this PDW is intended to be an educative, interactive community-building forum to delve into entrepreneurship’s “spatial turn” and its implications for research and practice. The session will draw together diverse participants – ranging from curious neophytes to prominent, published authors – to clarify key concepts, debate theoretical frameworks, and examine recent empirical treatments. The goal is to open new eyes and challenge existing assumptions by expanding and energizing the community of scholars investigating the transformative impacts of spatiality.