From Face Time to Flex Time: The Role of Physical Space in Worker Temporal Flexibility

Abstract

Despite the great potential for flexible work policies to increase worker temporal flexibility—the extent to which workers control when and where their work tasks are completed—organizational scholars have found that employees rarely use them for fear of career penalties. This study sheds light on this flexibility paradox by drawing attention to the overlooked yet crucial role of physical space. Using 14 months of field research during an office redesign at a large professional sales organization, I find that a reconfiguration of physical space intended to reduce costs had the unintended consequence of disrupting taken-for-granted greeting practices, noticing practices, and evaluative beliefs. Changes to social practices led employees to feel less concern about trait inferences of dependability and commitment arising from their physical presence and to experience greater temporal flexibility. The findings contribute to a model in which the relationship between flexible work policies and temporal flexibility is moderated by the physical space. By identifying the physical space as a novel determinant of temporal flexibility, the study reveals the structural underpinnings of the flexibility paradox and more generally contributes to our understanding of how physical spaces structure social life in organizations.

The balancing act: A qualitative study on remote work and childcare during the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa

“…Alternatively, some of the employees actively diminished these barriers by combining childcare and work, such as working outside while children played or working while children completed their homework in shared spaces such as dining rooms. This finding concurs with other research; whereas some employees prefer a separation between work and non-work roles, others choose to blur these roles (Gonsalves, 2020). The type of workspace employees chose could, therefore, possibly be dependent on employee preference (Gonsalves, 2020).…”

“…This finding concurs with other research; whereas some employees prefer a separation between work and non-work roles, others choose to blur these roles (Gonsalves, 2020). The type of workspace employees chose could, therefore, possibly be dependent on employee preference (Gonsalves, 2020). Additionally, participants in this study also add to literature that the type of work they had to complete influenced their chosen workspace as, for example, private spaces helped them to focus.…”

“…However, if remote working employees follow a variable work schedule that they choose, i.e. "temporal flexibility" (Gonsalves, 2020), they experienced higher work satisfaction (Kaduk et al, 2019). Temporal flexibility has many benefits, such as decreasing work/family role blurring and improved employee health (Moen et al, 2016).…”

The Irony of Accountability: How a Performance-Inducing Policy Reduces Motivation to Perform

“…Organizations have been instituting wellness programs, flexible policies, corporate counseling services, and other programs aimed at improving people's psychological and mental health (Ryan et al 2021;Kirk and Brown 2003). Organizational studies have also been more interested in topics such as meaningful work, "calling" identities, and flexible work structures that affect subjective wellbeing (Bloom, Colbert, and Nielsen 2020;Bunderson and Thompson 2009;Gonsalves 2020).…”

The re-regulation of working communities and relationships in the context of flexwork: A spacing identity approach

“…While this echoes previous findings on individualization in the context of flexwork, it also shows that social relations have to re-regulate in the context of workplace (temporal and physical) distribution. For example, Gonsalves (2020) shows how a change in office spaces implies a broader use by employees of temporal flexibility practices. The way co-workers greet each other evolved from ritual to spontaneous and less visible.…”