Coworking: an analysis of coworking strategies for interaction and innovation

Abstract

Coworking: an analysis of coworking strategies for interaction and innovation Cabral, V.; van Winden, W. General rightsIt is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please contact the library: http://www.hva.nl/bibliotheek/contact/contactformulier/contact.html, or send a letter to: University Library ( Managed coworking spaces are working environments for independent professionals, with an active role of the manager of the space to foster collaboration and interaction. These locations emerged in the late 2000s and were designed to host people who endeavor to break isolation and to find a convivial environment that favors meetings and collaboration (Moriset, 2013).It is often taken for granted that coworking contributes to innovation (Botsman & Rogers, 2011).Earlier research discussed outcomes of coworking, such as cooperative working (e.g. Leforestier, 2009, Spinuzzi, 2012, getting access to new knowledge (van Winden et al., 2012), or having new business opportunities (Groot, 2013). Yet, it is not fully understood how coworking spaces can be effective in fostering these outcomes, and what role management could play.The managers of coworking spaces deploy a variety of strategies to foster interaction and collaboration, but there has been very little systematic analysis of the effects on interaction and innovation. This paper proposes a typology of strategic management tools applied by coworking spaces, and aims to shed light on the effectiveness for interaction and innovation.In the empirical part, we describe and analyze two coworking spaces in Amsterdam. The implications for proprietors of coworking spaces and policy makers are analyzed in view of the potential contributions of these spaces to local collaborations, knowledge transfer and new business opportunities.

How intrafirm collaboration network influences a firm’s new knowledge search? Longitudinal evidence from the US biotechnology industry

“…Information transfer may be incomplete or delayed due to the large geographic distance. It would incur higher coordination costs during the collective knowledge search (Cabral and Winden, 2016). For another, strong ties usually result in participants relying too heavily on knowledge of their direct ties.…”

Coworking spaces in urban settings: Prospective roles?

“…Conversely, the more roles they play, the greater their impact to users, neighbourhoods and cities, but their economic feasibility is threatened. For instance, to be a Community host, in order to foster collaboration and communitarian behaviour or to encourage innovative action requires endeavour and managerial action (Fuzi, 2015;Cabral & Van Winden, 2016;Brown, 2017). Conversely, if the CWS is not limited to be an Infrastructure provider but if it also fosters local connections, as a Local Coupling Point, its effect, both to participants and the locality, will be more pronounced (Capdevila, 2013;Mariotti et al, 2017;Jamal, 2018).…”

Location Type Choice for Face-to-Face Interactions in Business Centers

“…Interactions are important for organizations to get access to (new) knowledge and eventually increase their innovation capabilities (Cabral & Van Winden, 2016; Marouf, 2007; Suckley & Dobson, 2014). Knowledge can be shared through face-to-face interactions between individuals (Ipe, 2003) and can be described as “a process where individuals mutually exchange their knowledge to create new knowledge” (e.g., Van Den Hooff & De Ridder, 2004, p. 118).…”

“…Although it is expected that face-to-face interactions among occupants are increased through the use of business centers because of shared spaces and facilities (e.g., Cabral & Van Winden, 2016), research on actual face-to-face interactions among occupants is still limited. Previous research on networking behavior mainly focused on single-tenant offices.…”