In his dissertation project Zhou probed social connections formed in co-working spaces. He reports that “Mixed methods were applied to study coworking spaces in New York City. . . . The results suggest that social connectivity between the members was low even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Three major reasons were identified: lack of opportunity, lack of motivation, and a behavioral norm of minimizing interaction in the open-plan environment. . . . I propose that flexibility is about . . . how much visibility and mobility the space offers, and how much time the occupants are physically present in the space. . . . Increased flexibility in space and time negatively affected an individual’s attitude toward social interaction. . . . These results suggest that the nature of coworking may embody a conflicting relationship between the two concepts: ‘flexibility’ and ‘community.’”
Yaoyi Zhou. 2021. “Flexibility Vs. Community: Two Studies About Coworking Space and the Member’s Social Connectivity.” Cornell University, Dissertation, https://www.proquest.com/openview/5bd133f73f6958b8a6da3d3db1c05e24/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y