Effects of relocation to activity-based workplaces on perceived productivity: Importance of change-oriented leadership

The importance of employee attitude in activity-based work environments and the potential role of personality

In studies of activity-based work environments, employees' prior attitude towards activity-based work environments has been identified as a potentially essential antecedent to how they perceive the new work environment. Using longitudinal data-collected once before and three times after moving to an activity-based office-we seek to reaffirm the moderating effect of this prior attitude on employee perceptions of privacy and psychological ownership in a sample from two smaller organisations (n = 38 combined). We also explore if employee attitude towards an activity-based work environment is related to personality dimensions. The findings support that prior employee attitude to an activity-based work environment moderates subsequent perceptions of privacy and psychological ownership. Only conscientiousness is significant when examining the association of personality and employee attitude towards an activity-based work environment. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Practitioner summary: Questions remain about activity-based work environments. The data shows employee perceptions of privacy and psychological ownership are lower after moving to an activity-based office, but only for employees with less favourable attitudes towards activity-based environments beforehand. Conscientiousness is positively associated with employees' attitude towards activity-based environments before the move.

The contribution of office design to the appraisal of job control: A longitudinal study

The appraisal of control over work intensity and decisions at the workplace is a well-established determinant of health and well-being among employees. Building on job design theories, the overarching aim of this study was to determine office layout as a predictor of perceived job control. Specifically, we investigated between-group differences in control by contrasting employees in cellular offices with employees in shared/open offices, as well as effects on control among employees transitioning from one office design to another. This is a longitudinal study with three survey points across 48 months comprising 3,415 Norwegian office employees. Data were analyzed with latent growth curve analyses, adjusted for gender, age, leadership responsibility, and teleworking. Employees in cellular offices reported significantly higher control over work intensity and control over decisions when compared with employees in shared/open workspaces. Transitioning from a shared/open workspace to a cellular office led to a significant increase in perceived control regarding work intensity. As the experience of control may buffer the negative impact of job demands, organizations that rely on shared or open office solutions may benefit from identifying tools that can contribute to enhancing their employees' perceived control.

Effects of a Participative Workplace Intervention on Work Strategies and Expectations of Availability Among Office-Based Employees With Flexible Work Arrangements

Occupational ApplicationsWork strategies changed following a participatory workplace intervention among office-based employees with flexible work arrangements (FWA). Also, the intervention likely led to clearer rules and routines for FWA within the work group. As FWA increases, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be important to revise work strategies for both the individual and the work group. The results of this study are relevant in the context of interventions that can support organizations and employees in adopting work strategies promoting good working conditions and health in FWA.

A two-wave study on the effects of cognitive demands of flexible work on cognitive flexibility, work engagement and fatigue

Cognitive demands of flexible work are the specific cognitive demands of planning of working times, planning of working places, structuring of work tasks and coordinating with others that arise from flexible work organisation. Although these demands have become increasingly widespread, their consequences are not well understood. We propose that cognitive demands of flexible work are challenge stressors that can benefit employees, by adding to their cognitive flexibility and work engagement, but also impair employees by causing fatigue. Hypotheses were tested using a two-wave study design in a sample that recently switched to a more flexible work organisation (N = 279). Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. We found that planning of working times and planning of working places were related to increases in cognitive flexibility, and coordinating with others was related to increases in work engagement. No significant relations with fatigue were found. Thus, the results suggest that cognitive demands of flexible work helped employees to personally develop and feel motivated at work. However, effects on work engagement were rather small. Future research should control potential confounding variables more thoroughly and examine effects on short-term strain outcomes.

Changing the Office Design to Activity-Based Flexible Offices: A Longitudinal Study of How Managers' Leadership Behaviours Are Perceived

This longitudinal study examines the impact of office type on employees' perception of managers' leadership behaviours, which is an unexplored area. The expanding research related to activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) has mainly focused on employees' working conditions and health outcomes, not on the changes in leadership behaviours when moving from traditional offices to AFOs. Office workers (n = 261) from five office sites within a large Swedish government agency were included in a controlled study of a natural intervention. At four sites, traditional offices were replaced by AFOs, while workers at one site with no relocation acted as the control. The same employees rated different leadership behaviours in a web-based questionnaire at baseline and at one follow-up. The analyses showed that relocations from cell and open-plan offices to AFOs were clearly related to a decrease in the perception of relation-oriented leadership behaviours. However, coming from open-plan offices to AFOs also decreased the perception of the other leadership dimensions. As expected, the control group was stable over time in their perceptions. This emphasises the need for organisations to provide managers with prerequisites so they can keep up with behaviours that support employees' performance and health when office designs and ways of working are changed.

Activity-based working: How the use of available workplace options increases perceived autonomy in the workplace

BACKGROUND: If companies are building offices, nowadays, they mostly realize activity-based concepts as a response to growing flexibility requirements of a digitalized society. Activity-based concepts provide multiple workplace options to employees. After moving to new workspaces, employees need to get used to the facilities and learn how to use the available workplace options. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of activity-based working relies on the workplace options and on employees’ autonomy to use them according to their current work tasks. The present study examined the change in the use of workplace options, task-environment fit, and autonomy in the workplace after the implementation of an activity-based working concept. METHODS: The study was longitudinal with two time points (Time 1 and Time 2) that were one year apart. Data were obtained prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample consisted of 153 employees working in activity-based office environments in two organizations in Germany. The average age was 45 years (SD = 11); 44% were men, and 23% had leadership responsibilities. RESULTS: The increased use of available workplace options offered in activity-based working concepts was associated with better task-environment fit, which in turn led to an increase in perceived autonomy in the workplace. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the core idea of activity-based working and revealed how this office concept unfolds its effectiveness: Having different workplace options available and using them led to a higher perceived task-environment fit, which in turn, contributed to a higher perceived autonomy in the workplace.

How teachers’ expectations influence their experiences with activity-based workplaces in higher education

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of teachers’ expectations on their experiences and satisfaction response dregarding the introduction of activity-based workplaces (ABWs) in a Dutch university of applied sciences.

Design/methodology/approach

The first author executed a three-year at-home ethnographic study as senior lecturer at the university in which the research was executed.

Findings

Teachers have will expectations, should expectations and want expectations that relate to the stages before, during and after the introduction of ABWs. Unmet should and will expectations negatively affect want expectations and not only influence teachers’ affective commitment to their work but also generate dissatisfaction and even anger toward the organization, showing the importance of monitoring all three types of expectations.

Research implications

Users evaluate their expectations against their experiences which can lead to the formation of (dis)satisfaction regarding the introduction of ABWs. To explain the satisfaction response, research should consider expectations and experiences.

Practical implications

Discrepancies between users’ expectations and experiences lead to dissatisfaction with ABWs. Involving users and aiming to capture their expectations in the design support professionals predicting satisfaction and preventing the organization from costly re-refurbishments.

Social implications

Exploring users' expectations creates an understanding of users' everyday processes and underlying values which can improve the fit between users and building and reduce costs. Reducing accommodation costs benefits society, as more money can be spent on education.

Originality/value

This paper integrates Lefebvre’s spatial theory and Oliver’s disconfirmation theory to study the influence of expectations on users’ experiences and describes the process before, during and after introducing ABWs.

Workplace change process and satisfaction with activity-based office

Purpose

The purpose of this case study is to investigate how the personnel in an organization experienced the process of change when moving from private offices to an activity-based office (ABO) and how their perceptions of change were associated with changes in their satisfaction with the work environment a year after relocation.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative pre-post study design and mixed methods were used. Survey data was obtained from 154 employees before the relocation and 146 after the relocation. The data on the 105 employees who responded to both surveys were statistically analyzed. Representatives of different units were interviewed (n = 17) and documentary material was analyzed as complementary material.

Findings

The personnel’s criticisms concerned the reasons for the change, their opportunities to influence the office design and the extent to which their views were taken into account. Environmental satisfaction decreased after moving to the ABO. The personnel’s ratings of the workplace change process before the relocation were associated with the later change in environmental satisfaction. Based on logistic regression, the degree of agreement with management’s reasons for the change was the strongest predictor of the change in environmental satisfaction.

Practical implications

Organizations that move from private offices to an ABO should invest in high-quality change management and simultaneously develop both work and facilities. Special attention should be paid to clarifying the rationale for the change to the employees and to providing them with opportunities to influence during the change. Organizations should continue to monitor user experiences and evaluate the effects of the change after the office redesign and should take corrective action as needed.

Originality/value

This empirical case study is unique as it combined qualitative and quantitative methods and investigated the process of relocation and its outcomes in a one-year follow-up. This approach captured the importance of managing change and assessing the long-term effects of office redesign when moving from private offices to an ABO.

Relocation to Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW)-Importance of the Implementation Process

Activity-based workplaces (ABW) have been implemented in many organizations to offer office flexibility and decrease facility costs. Evaluations of the ABW implementation process are rare. The study aimed to examine the ABW relocation process of two offices in a Swedish governmental agency and to explore factors that influence the implementation process and satisfaction with it. Qualitative or quantitative data were collected on process variables (context, recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction), barriers and facilitators to the process were explored in focus group interviews, and immediate outcomes (perceived knowledge, understanding office rules, satisfying information and support) were measured by questionnaire before and after the relocation. The evaluation showed that recruitment was unsatisfactory and reach insufficient—and participation in activities was thus low for both offices. However, intended changes improved. Unclear aims of ABW, lack of manager support and, lack of communication were some of the reported barriers to participation, while a well-planned process, work groups, and program activities were facilitators. Thus, to increase satisfaction with the relocation, our results suggest that recruitment should be thoroughly planned, taking these factors into account to increase participation. This knowledge may be useful for planning and designing successful ABW relocations and evaluations.