Lucius and Damberg studied creativity in workplaces and elsewhere via a survey. They report that “although creativity may not be directly impacted by proximity, low informal or social interaction in a work context will lead eventually to lower well-being and can critically endanger creativity. . . . employees who are able to select their workplaces according to their tasks tend to be more creative. . . . shared desk principles. . . . [do] not seem to affect creativity as it rather enables flexibility to sit with different project teams or colleagues. . . . workplace design is positively associated with creative problem-solving capacity of employees. . . . Social interaction as a driver for creativity should be brought into focus leading to offices that resemble inspiring spaces for intentional collaboration, spontaneous interaction, and more importantly ongoing communication.”
Zita Lucius and Svenja Damberg. 2024. “Why We Need Employees Back at the Office: The Effect of Workplace Design on Creativity in Organizations.” Creativity and Innovation Management, https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12611