Transformational place building: a mixed method exploration of small businesses

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of transformational business practices using the construct of organizational place building. The objective is to develop a more expansive model of place building that examines and the potential of their business practices on place. Design/methodology/approach - This project employed a mixed method research focusing on collecting, analyzing, and mixing both quantitative and qualitative data in a single study or series of studies. Members from the chamber of commerce of three cities in Northern Colorado participated in two phases of research. Findings - The mixed method approach captured key themes that provided a discernable structure to the place building construct, and revealed that businesses build place in a variety of ways each according to their own culture and business model. Research limitations/implications - The traditional model of corporate social responsibility while important, is limited in scope and influence. In contrast, we have argued for a more expansive perspective which examines how transformational organizations value place and the potential of their business practices to enhance or diminish community well-being. Social implications - The paper presents a step in the direction of building a coherent theory of how organizations build place and poses new questions about the role of organizations in relation to places. Originality/value - A theoretical understanding of how organizations contribute to the construction of place would benefit from the work of economists, geographers, sociologists as well as management theorists.