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1 – 10 of over 39000Vitalija Petrulaitiene and Tuuli Jylhä
This paper aims to focus on the value of workplace concepts. The aim is twofold. First, the development of expected value into actual perceived value of workplace concept is…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the value of workplace concepts. The aim is twofold. First, the development of expected value into actual perceived value of workplace concept is studied together with the methods adopted to realise such value. After this, the perceived value of concepts is analysed in more detail to supplement the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The identified relationship is analysed qualitatively through six Finnish case organisations. The data were collected both through interviews and observations and analysed through coding.
Findings
The actual perceived value of the workplace concepts was richer than the expected value before the workplace implementation. The direction from cost- to business- workplace strategies was noticed. Active employee involvement and orientation towards their needs, as well as also the activity-based offices with unassigned workspaces and more meeting areas, were the main tools and methods used to perceive the value.
Practical implications
More organisations develop their own workplace concepts. For practitioners, this paper offers the insight on what was expected, provides the workplace concept development results and practical insights into realizing such value from the organisational perspective.
Originality/value
The value of this paper lies in the relationship between the expected value from the workplace concept and the actual perceived value of the concept, along with tools and methods to perceive it.
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Mari Ekstrand and Geir Karsten Hansen
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between organisational flexibility and individual adaptation in the implementation of integrated workplace concepts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between organisational flexibility and individual adaptation in the implementation of integrated workplace concepts. The focus is on the interconnectedness between different concepts and organisational aspects, as well as on overcoming challenges to fully achieve the intended ends.
Design/methodology/approach
The discussion builds on a triangulated research design including: semi-structured interviews, observation studies and analysis of secondary material in the form of internal evaluation reports and quantitative questionnaire data.
Findings
To fully achieve the intended ends, organisational, cultural and managerial aspects need to be aligned with the interconnected workplace concept. To create alignment, the concept also needs to be supported by a process of continual improvement and organisational learning.
Research limitations/implications
The case study was conducted in one organisation. Additional empirical research is needed to provide more definite conclusions, guidelines and theories.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the importance of applying a socio-material perspective towards implementation and development of integrated workplace concepts. Emphasising change, learning and development rather than standardisation and equality, may, in the end, allow for better concept interconnectedness.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the perspective of studying the implementation of integrated workplace concepts from a socio-material perspective, shedding light on employee and managerial adaptation to different interrelated aspects and measures.
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Olga Guillette van Diermen and Schelte Beltman
This paper aims to address the management of people and their working behaviour successfully during workplace change – from a traditional way of working towards new ways of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to address the management of people and their working behaviour successfully during workplace change – from a traditional way of working towards new ways of working. The study was based on the observation that during workplace change, organisations often fail to see the importance of managing (working) behaviour during the process of workplace change. The focus is mostly on the design of the new working environment and the information technology in it. However, these do not seem to be the determining aspects of the success of workplace change, merely necessary boundary conditions. This paper will elucidate how internal communication can make the greatest impact on shifting people’s working behaviour and attitudes and thus manage it effectively.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature study has been conducted to investigate the relation between the topics of new ways of working, workplace change and internal communication. This study surfaced the importance of the aspect of (working) behaviour within workplace change. Subsequently, a field study was performed, during which several interviews were held with the project team of the R&D department of a chemical multinational, who is on the brink of implementing a new workplace concept. Also, focus group interviews were held with their employees to research personal views on expected working behaviour.
Findings
The outcomes of the research, literature review and field study clarify the critical success factors for internal communication to manage the workplace change, so it lives up to the expectations. These are: face-to-face communication, assigning the manager the role of workplace change leader and use internal communication to inform employees and inspire them.
Originality/value
In this paper, the behavioural aspect has been identified as a key determinant of perceived success of a new workplace concept. Managing workplace change successfully should therefore merely focus on managing the working behaviour of the people involved, instead of managing the building and interior design or the technology in it. Internal communication was identified as a pivotal tool to reach this success.
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The study aims to provide insight on the relationship between a newly implemented workplace concept, its intentions, the actual use and ultimately its ability to function as a…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to provide insight on the relationship between a newly implemented workplace concept, its intentions, the actual use and ultimately its ability to function as a strategic tool. By addressing the intended and unintended consequences of planned spatial arrangements, the interest lies in studying underlying factors affecting the concepts’ ability to function as a strategic tool.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study builds on semi-structured interviews and observational studies from a larger Norwegian organisation that recently implemented an activity-based workplace concept. Concept descriptions and architectural drawings have also been important sources to study how the concept was interpreted and used by different groups.
Findings
Taking a socio-material perspective, the findings illustrate that spatial aspects and different concept structures, together with issues such as employee mobility and time spent in the office, different work processes, management style and departmental cultures influenced the way the activity-based workplace concept was perceived and taken into use.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that social and cultural aspects may play a more significant role in the adaptation process than previously emphasised. The article further provides knowledge on how organisations, in planning and implementation of such concepts, may address the right issues to overcome challenges and achieve the higher strategic ends.
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Inka Vuokko Ilona Kojo and Suvi Nenonen
This research aims to aggregate and categorise distinct places for multi-locational work from the 1960s until today. Based on an understanding of the user needs connected to these…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to aggregate and categorise distinct places for multi-locational work from the 1960s until today. Based on an understanding of the user needs connected to these locations, the paper aims to identify the service concepts and workplace design solutions by which these needs can be met.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature review is based on academic journal papers, reports and books related to the topic.
Findings
The paper categorises the main multi-locational workplace locations, namely, organisational offices, home offices, mobile workplaces and flexible offices. The user needs in these locations vary from concept to concept, and therefore, the service offers are distinct. Based on the results, the service provision of organisational offices and flexible offices should focus on providing users with the chance for socialisation using collaborative space solutions and community management policies. In the cases of home offices and mobile workplaces, service provision should instead emphasise ensuring functionalities such as efficient virtual connectivity and accessibility. Additionally, more concept-specific user needs are identified.
Research limitations/implications
The paper offers an overview of and framework for future research and concept development. The limitations of cultural differences could have been investigated more.
Practical implications
The results provide insight into the purposes of facilities management and workplace design when developing service concepts for multi-locational workplaces.
Originality/value
The paper establishes a literature-based framework for the service concepts of places for multi-locational work.
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Daphne M. Heeroma, Frans W. Melissen and Marc B. Stierand
This conceptual paper explores the problems associated with trying to address culture as one of the key aspects in effective workplace strategies.
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual paper explores the problems associated with trying to address culture as one of the key aspects in effective workplace strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper critically addresses the relationship between workplace strategies and the behavioural components of locality. It reviews the role that the concept of culture has, so far, played in trying to predict these behavioural consequences as part of (literature discussing) efforts to design appropriate workplace strategies.
Findings
The discussion reveals the need to further address this relation through dedicated research. What is more, it is argued that there is a clear need to focus explicitly on work patterns, and how these can be accounted for in workplace strategies, instead of continuing to focus on the concept of culture as a predictor for successfulness. It is argued that the latter does not allow for practical application, whereas the former could help us to better understand and predict the effectiveness of specific workplace strategies in specific (local) circumstances.
Practical implications
The outcome of the discussion suggests that organisations consisting of multiple locations could benefit from explicitly accounting for (local) work patterns in setting up workplace strategies for the organisation as a whole.
Originality/value
This paper reveals a relevant research gap in current literature on workplace strategies and suggests a shift in focus from culture to work patterns as one of the key aspects to address.
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Yujin Kim and Eunhwa Yang
This paper aims to propose a theoretical framework for workplace research based on sociomateriality. Sociomateriality is a theory to explain the effects of social practice and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a theoretical framework for workplace research based on sociomateriality. Sociomateriality is a theory to explain the effects of social practice and materiality in an organization. Workplace studies in facility management (FM) can adopt this theory to understand the complex relationships between physical work environments and human factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Review of sociomateriality was conducted to understand the connection to existing workplace studies in FM. This study addresses the components of the workplace through the sociomateriality perspective.
Findings
The main focuses in sociomateriality theory are materiality and social practice. For workplace concepts specifically in FM, workplaces and their components are a material agency, and work and workers are a social practice agency. By considering both materiality and sociality in workplace environments, researchers can understand office dynamics and interrelationships. Lastly, two statistical analysis methods are suggested to analyze the framework: structural equation modeling and multilevel analysis.
Originality/value
To understand the human–environment relationship, it is essential to consider both materiality and social practice perspectives simultaneously. The proposed framework can be a foundation to explain the complex interactions between the physical environment and human factors of workers in individual organizations.
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Hugh Munby, Mike Zanibbi, Cheryl‐Anne Poth, Nancy L. Hutchinson, Peter Chin and Antoinette Thornton
This paper aims to describe an instructional study of three cases of work‐based education students (in co‐operative education in Canada), described by their teachers as ranging…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe an instructional study of three cases of work‐based education students (in co‐operative education in Canada), described by their teachers as ranging from high achieving to low achieving.
Design/methodology/approach
The three students are given metacognitive instruction to enhance their workplace learning. The instruction is based on findings from a population of recent case studies of learning in the workplace and is shared with the students, with their teachers, and with their workplace supervisors. Interviews and observations are used to describe the variable success of metacognitive instruction in the three workplace settings.
Findings
The paper finds that, while the teachers do not implement the materials fully, both the employers and the students find the metacognitive questions that make up the instructional materials to be useful and have suggestions for how the instructional materials should be used in workplaces. The instructional materials are appended.
Originality/value
The paper provides useful information on enhancing their workplace learning among work‐based education students.
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Sobia Hassan, Nighat Ansari and Ali Rehman
The present study aimed to find out the relationship of public service motivation (PSM) with other positive aspects, that is workplace spirituality and employee well-being among…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study aimed to find out the relationship of public service motivation (PSM) with other positive aspects, that is workplace spirituality and employee well-being among academic staff of public sector higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to capture the full picture of the institutional factors that may be responsible for initiating and improving public service motivation among employees, 23 interviews were carried out with employees placed in leadership positions in the public sector universities. The data were qualitatively analyzed through NVivo 12 to gain institutional perspective regarding various organizational factors that could influence PSM.
Findings
The finding of this study elaborates that, although PSM is a personal attribute of the individual, there are many other organizational factors that exert a substantial effect in promoting PSM. The results of qualitative data also affirmed a significant relationship between PSM and workplace spirituality (a type of organizational culture) and the influence of employee well-being in improving the motivation of public employees towards service provision.
Research limitations/implications
The data were collected from the specific population that is academic staff of public sector universities which limits the generalizability of the results.
Practical implications
PSM is a vital concept in public organizations where individuals must understand and focus on public concerns to improve the quality of public service. Therefore, public sector organizations faced the challenge of nurturing an organizational culture in which selfless public service becomes the norm and individuals are driven by the effective accomplishments of their services. Therefore, an organization that is highly oriented towards spirituality likely to improve employee well-being, which is a challenging and important concept in organizations in promoting PSM among employees.
Originality/value
This study is unique in terms of identifying workplace spirituality and employee well-being as organizational influencers in promoting PSM among employees.
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Mari Ekstrand and Sigrid Damman
This study aims to provide insight into how the implementation and management of an integrated workplace concept (IWC) in multiple office locations are affected by local…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide insight into how the implementation and management of an integrated workplace concept (IWC) in multiple office locations are affected by local management practices and other contextual and cultural aspects.
Design/methodology/approach
A triangulated case study design was applied to evaluate an on-going process to roll out a new branch office concept. The core method was semi-structured interviewing.
Findings
The findings indicate that when an IWC meets different local cultures and realities, the concept and its different aspects may transform in different directions – ultimately affecting concept interconnectedness and strategic value. The findings further suggest that the concept’s socio-material implications vary between locations and actors at different levels. For IWCs to serve strategic aims, they must be continuously aligned and re-aligned with changing organisational strategies.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted in one organisation. Additional empirical research, investigating implementation and management of different concepts in different organisational contexts, is needed to provide more definite conclusions and to develop guidelines for design, implementation and decision-making.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the importance of applying an iterative process approach in implementation and management of IWCs. Such an approach is essential for striking the right balance between standardisation and local adaptation, and for aligning the concept with organisational strategies.
Originality/value
Although much has been written on IWCs, the role of culture and social negotiations in the implementation and operations phase is often neglected.
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