Workplace alignment

Abstract

Purpose-The paper aims to explore the relationship between office occupier work activity and workplace provision. It tests the proposition that location-fixed office workers are not as wellsupported in the working environment as location-flexible office workers. The research also explores the perceptions of the workplace provision based upon the types of tasks completed at the desk-location, whether this was collaborative or focused. Design/methodology/approach-The research adopts a cross-sectional approach using an online questionnaire to collect data from several offices in the Middles East. The dataset consists of 405 responses. One-way ANOVA was conducted to understand the relationship between location flexibility and perception of productivity. In addition, a series of T-Test were used to evaluate the relationship between work activities and office environment. Findings-The results show that those workers who were location-fixed perceived the workplace provision to have a more negative impact on their productivity than those who had a greater level of location-flexibility, particularly with regards to noise levels and interruptions. In terms of types of activities, those that undertook more collaborative tasks valued the facilitation of creativity and interaction from the workplace provision. Research limitations/implications-The research has limitations as data collection was at onepoint in time and therefore lacks the opportunity to undertake longitudinal analysis. However, the research gives greater insights into the alignment of office environments based on flexibility and work activity. Practical implications-The paper identifies implications for the design and development of office environments by identifying the need for office occupier activity profiles. These profiles can underpin data led design which should promote a tailored choice appropriate work setting that can maximise productivity. Originality/value-This paper contributes to the research area of workplace alignment. It establishes that optimal workplace alignment requires a better understanding of office occupier needs based on location-flexibility and work activity.

Inclusion through use and membership of co-working spaces

“…Further research with co-workers also demonstrates that social interactions appeared to have a positive influence on the productivity of co-workers (Bueno et al, 2018). Location switching may also enable mobile workers to avoid noise levels and interruptions (Haynes et al, 2019). The use of shared facilities may offer members more flexibility in terms of who uses the spaces when compared to traditional offices.…”

“…While some may wish to separate home and work life (Brown, 2017), others may value the professionalism that goes hand in hand with working in an office-like environment compared to a café. Distractions and the lack of privacy may be an issue in co-working spaces (Harris, 2017), similar to the work experience in many traditional offices (Haynes et al, 2019). Many, but by no means all, members seek the opportunity to meet like-minded people to increase social and peer support (Brown, 2017).…”

“…For example, many workers prefer to switch locations when they move from one activity to another in order to access the resources or interactions to complete tasks (e.g. when the task is creative or collaborative; Haynes et al, 2019). In addition, work-life balance concerns also change the needs of many mobile workers (Orel, 2019).…”

“…Employers who wish to support mobile workers (but do not wish to rent co-working spaces for their workers) may need to identify ways to address the needs of mobile workers compared to their stationary colleagues. A number of strategies may be helpful for managers tasked with providing support to mobile workers (see also Haynes et al, 2019;Wohlers and Hertel, 2017). First, employers wishing to support the adoption of co-working spaces and support their employees' use of these may wish to familiarise themselves with the literature on co-working and other shared space approaches.…”

Fleksibilitas Kerja (Work Flexibility): Systematic Literatur Review With Blibliometric

“…Fleksibilitas tempat kerja didefinisikan sebagai: kemampuan karyawan untuk membuat pilihan yang mempengaruhi kapan dan di mana mereka bekerja (Bukit et al, 2008) dalam (ter Hoeven & van Zoonen, 2020).Banyak perusahaan, terutama di industri elit, telah menerapkan program fleksibilitas inovatif yang menawarkan berbagai pilihan untuk mengurangi beban kerja, mengubah lokasi dan waktu kerja, serta beradaptasi dengan kehidupan pribadi karyawan (Wynn & Rao, 2019). Salah satu cara untuk mengkategorikan pekerja kantoran adalah tingkat mobilitas yang mereka miliki untuk bergerak di lingkungan kantor, sehingga gaya kerja dapat menggabungkan tingkat mobilitas yang berbeda (Haynes, 2012) dalam (Haynes et al, 2019).…”