ABSTRACT
Chapter 4 presents a method for co-constructing understandings of leadership as an everyday practice in small firms. The practice builds upon a relational constructionist foundation and uses an inquiry process whereby a small number of leaders from different firms in the same industry participate in the knowledge co-construction process in conjunction with two researchers. Based on conversations between the leaders and the researchers, the researchers construct a case for each firm. These cases serve as inputs for conversations among all participants. The process of conversing with leaders in the individual firms, writing up cases, and holding seminars with all participating firms can be repeated up to eight times over a two-year period. This process serves as a relational action learning practice, and at the same time creates a rich body of material on management practices in small firms. The group’s understandings of leading are questioned and new understandings are co-created in collaborative, dialogically based settings.
