The Shape of Firms: Opportunities from Rapid Manufacturing

Antonio Esparza, Ricardo Sosa, Andy M. Connor

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference PaperResearchpeer-review

Abstract

This paper examines the role of design in the creation of new firms. A new interpretation of firm design is developed to explain the dynamics of entrepreneurship. This paper seeks to expand the conversation between design and management studies by focusing on the concept of shaping the firm. The study of the shape of the firm seeks to characterise the dependencies between the features of products and the organizational possibilities of new firms. We intersect theories from the fields of management and design theory to examine the shape of the firm in the entrepreneurship context. From this study, opportunities are identified for research approaches to address the entanglement between the shape of the product and the shape of the firm. Implications for practice are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEAI International Conference on Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Education
Subtitle of host publicationTIE’2017
EditorsAngelica Reyes-Munoz, Victor Callaghan, David Crawford, Ping Zheng
Place of PublicationCham Switzerland
PublisherSpringer
Pages249-261
Number of pages13
ISBN (Electronic)9783030022426
ISBN (Print)9783030022419
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2019
Externally publishedYes
Event1st International Conference on Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Education, TIE 2017 - Canterbury, United Kingdom
Duration: 11 Sept 201712 Sept 2017

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Electrical Engineering
Volume532
ISSN (Print)1876-1100
ISSN (Electronic)1876-1119

Conference

Conference1st International Conference on Technology, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Education, TIE 2017
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityCanterbury
Period11/09/1712/09/17

Keywords

  • Digital technologies
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Firm design

Cite this