Influence of spatial configuration in coworking spaces on entrepreneurial bricolage: Evidence from China

Abstract

In this study the emerging phenomenon of coworking is contextualized within a theoretical framework. I conducted a survey with 310 people in China who were working in coworking spaces. Using multiple regression analyses, I assessed whether physical design, social networks, and individual trust (i.e., spatial configuration) in these shared environments stimulates entrepreneurial bricolage. The results show that physical design positively influenced entrepreneurial bricolage in the coworking space; that network ties had a mediating effect, which confirms that social networks partially mediated the relationship between physical design and entrepreneurial bricolage; and that individual trust moderated this mediating effect. This study provides new insights into the mechanism of entrepreneurial bricolage in coworking spaces from the perspective of spatial configuration. The study findings have major implications for research into improving management of coworking spaces because the focus was on spatial configuration and the effect of this in decision making for entrepreneurial bricolage.