Workplace

Gracheva and Groen review the implications of onsite and external coworking sites for large office-based organizations.  They share that they “examined the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating coworking environments into the real estate portfolios of large organizations. . . . The findings show that improved adaptability is the greatest advantage of external coworking solutions (facility management perspective). The most significant advantage of internal coworking is related to stimulation of innovation, creativity and knowledge sharing (general management perspective).

Nurmi and Pakarinen’s work probes the effects of virtual sessions on our energy levels and mental performance.  The researchers report that they “challenge the commonly held belief that virtual meeting fatigue manifests as exhaustion (i.e., active fatigue) resulting from overloading demands and instead suggest that participation in virtual meetings may lead to increased drowsiness (i.e., passive fatigue) due to underload of stimulation.

Hutson and Hutson investigated how biophilic design can support neurodiverse populations.  They found that “With an estimated 15 – 20% of the global population considered neurodiverse, it is crucial to understand and accommodate their specific needs, such as those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum condition, and learning disabilities. . . . biophilic design integrates natural elements and art into the built environment.

Research conducted by Bacevice and Larson confirms that people “read” environments that organizations use, looking for cues about their values, mission, and similar ‘positions.” The researchers report that “Organizations strategically invest in the aesthetics of their spaces to communicate about their values, mission, and position within an industry or community. Given the growth of mass visual culture and the circulation of images online, exposure to aestheticized workspaces is pervasive.

Workplace aesthetics matter to workers. Barton and Le report that they gathered data using “a survey that determined whether the workplace environment at one university in Queensland, Australia supports its workers’ job satisfaction and well-being. . . . Findings showed that there is a strong need for an aesthetically pleasing workplace and its positive impacts on employees. In addition, an aesthetically pleasing workplace was perceived to have a positive impact on the respondents’ likelihood of spending more time at work, hence, a greater sense of satisfaction. . . . .