Toward a theory on workplaces for smart workers

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main features of smart work centers (SWCs) and show how these innovative offices would support the implementation of smart working and related changes in workspaces (“bricks”), technologies (“bytes”) and organizational practices (“behaviors”). Design/methodology/approach In this study, scientific literature is combined with white papers and business reports and visits to 14 workplaces, including offices designed as SWCs, co-working spaces, one telecenter, one accelerator and one fab lab. Primary data were collected through interviews with managers and users and non-participant observation, whereas secondary data included web-sites, brochures, presentations, press releases and official documents. Findings The authors developed research propositions about how the design of spaces and the availability of technology within SWCs would support the “bricks” and “bytes” levers of smart working. More importantly, the authors assumed that this new type of workplace would sustain changes in employees’ behaviors and managers’ practices, thus helping to overcome several challenges traditionally associated with remote working. Research limitations/implications The exploratory nature of the research only provides preliminary information about the role of SWCs within smart working programs. Additional qualitative and quantitative empirical investigation is required. Practical implications This study provides valuable knowledge about how the design of corporate offices can be leveraged to sustain the implementation of smart working. Originality/value This study advances knowledge on workplaces by focusing on an innovative design of traditional offices (SWC). It also lays the foundations for future investigation aimed at testing the developed propositions.

Indonesian Hotels’ Dynamic Capability under the Risks of COVID-19

“…Han et al (2021) examined the potential management infrastructure in hotels to adopt innovative mobile technology. Other studies mention innovative workplace design to boost creativity/smart working (Errichiello and Pianese 2020;van der Voordt 2003) and service climate (Al-Hawari et al 2019;Ghosh 2015). The supporting infrastructure may play a role in cultivating innovative behavior (Singh and Sarkar 2019) from workers' happiness (Bani-Melhem et al 2018).…”

Flexible workspaces within corporate real estate

“…The third wave of office evolution is a manifestation of the concept of 'New Ways of Working', also called 'Agile Working' and 'Smart Working' (Errichiello and Pianese, 2020), which is a set of approaches that challenges the status-quo aiming to improve productivity, business performance and welfare of employees and the environment (Ruostela et al, 2014). The 'Networked Office' provides a richer palette of work settings (Harris, 2015) and allows companies to adhere to peripheral portfolios as theorised by Gibson (2001Gibson ( , 2003.…”

“…In-house flexible workspaces for a corporation's staff have different names in literature. This model is also called 'flex-offices' (Nappi and Eddial, 2021), 'alternative officing' (Becker, 1999), 'activity-based integrated workplaces concepts' (Skogland, 2017), 'flexible space in the company's own offices' (British Council for Offices, 2019), 'coworking on own premisses' (Josef andBlack, 2019 in Heinzel, Georgiades andEngstler, 2021), 'internal coworking space' (Arora, 2017and Bauer, 2017in Heinzel, Georgiades and Engstler, 2021, and 'corporate smart working centres' (Errichiello and Pianese, 2020).…”

“…Also called 'open houses' (Nagy, 2018), 'coworking as a line of business' (Josef andBlack, 2019 in Heinzel, Georgiades andEngstler, 2021), 'revenue' and 'customer contact' approach (Yang, Bisson and Sanborn, 2019), 'multi-users smart working centres' (Errichiello and Pianese, 2020), under this model, corporations set up their own flexible workspaces, often within under-used or obsolete real estate, for the public to promote and complement the organisation or to open up new markets (Yang, Bisson and Sanborn, 2019;Heinzel, Georgiades and Engstler, 2021). Such an approach allows corporations to recoup some of the overall real estate costs and create a relationship with emerging companies that could eventually benefit their own business (British (Egan, 2017).…”

“…In this approach, corporations buy individual memberships from flexible workspace providers to allow employees to work from a coworking space. It can serve as a 'touchdown space' for mobile workers (Echeverri, Jylhä and Koppels, 2021), as a pilot programme to evaluate workers' preference, as a supplementary way to co-locate when there is a rapid spike in headcount (British Council for Offices, 2019), as a way to develop a product or service among freelancers and start-ups (Bauer, 2017 in Heinzel, Georgiades andEngstler, 2021), or as another third-place option for the employee to choose a preferable venue to work (Josef andBlack 2019 in Heinzel, Georgiades andEngstler, 2021), in a location often targeted to avoid employee's long commute (Errichiello and Pianese, 2020) but that could also be in a holiday destination (Bauer, 2017 in Heinzel, Georgiades and Engstler, 2021.…”