The Spatial Dimension of Social Entrepreneurship: Manifesting the Imaginary during COVID19

Abstract

This paper explores the spatial dimension of social entrepreneurship by examining how social entrepreneurs respond to spatial disruption in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so we analyse which elements of space social entrepreneurs engage with to affect change. Adopting a sociomateriality framework, we explore the extent to which the digital dimension of space is adopted as an intermediary through which space is (pre)constructed and enables shared social imaginaries to manifest in the physical realm. We implement a Netnographic and practice-tracing methodology with 17 social entrepreneurs in the Netherlands and United Kingdom over a 10-month period (February – December 2020). This research contributes to the social entrepreneurship literature by illustrating the cognitive and spatial configuration capacity of social entrepreneurs. Methodologically, this research demonstrates the value of space as an epistemic tool through which research can analyse routine behaviours and how these behaviours may change in according to spatial (re)configuration. The longitudinal and exploratory nature of this research provides in-depth insight on the influence of social and material elements of space. Our findings suggest that social entrepreneurs utilize space as a mechanism of protracting and contracting psychological distance to innovatively promote change.