Wijk and associates evaluated at-work satisfaction after relocation to activity-based workplaces using data collected 3 months before and 9 months after workers moved. They found that “on average, satisfaction decreased after relocation, while for some workers it increased. . . . Participants with no university education were more satisfied with the physical and psychosocial work environment in activity-based workplaces than those with a university degree. . . . satisfaction with the workplace design, the physical work environment, and the psychosocial work environment decreased after relocation to activity-based workplaces. . . . managers and those working in an open-plan office before relocation reported a smaller decline in satisfaction after relocation, compared to those coming from private or shared offices. This finding was consistent for all three outcomes, i.e. satisfaction with workplace design, physical work environment, and psychosocial work environment. . . . We also found significant effects of age and gender on changes in satisfaction, with younger individuals and women being less affected by the relocation to activity-based workplaces.”
Katarina Wijk, Eva Bergsten, Svend Mathiassen, and David Hallman. 2023. “Individual Determinants of Satisfaction with the Work Environment After Relocation to Activity-Based Workplaces: A Prospective Study.” PLoS ONE, vol. 18, no. 3, e0281771, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281771