an article by Robert Wapshott (Bradford University School of Management) and Oliver Mallett (Durham University) published in Organization Volume 19 Number 1 (January 2012)
Abstract
In this theoretical article we propose an approach to the spatial implications of homeworking derived from the work of social theorist Henri Lefebvre.
By highlighting the processes involved in the inherently contested and (re)constructed nature of space in the demarcated home/work environment we draw on Lefebvre to suggest a collapse of this demarcation.
We consider the impact of such a collapse on questions relating to the rewards and challenges of home-based work for both workers and their co-residents. In contrast to our approach to the spatial implications of home-based work derived from Lefebvre, we argue that a traditional, Euclidean conception of space risks ignoring the important, symbolic nature of social space to the detriment of both the effective research and practice of homeworking.
Hazel’s comment:
I’ve marked this one up to read the whole thing as it seems to accord far better with my method of working at home than the traditional “you should have a separate space, you should keep work and home separate, etc”.
Showing posts with label space_planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label space_planning. Show all posts
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Thursday, 29 September 2011
The origins of new ways of working: Office concepts in the 1970s
an article by Juriaan van Meel, (Centre for Facilities Management – Realdania Research, Technical University of Denmark) published in Facilities Volume 29 Issue 9/10 (2011)
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the origins of today’s new office concepts, focusing on the emergence of mobile and flexible working practices in the 1960s and 1970s. Thereby it intends to add a sense of historical awareness to the ongoing debate about the work environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The historical description is based on literature study, looking at research reports, design handbooks and depictions of office life in popular culture such as movies and advertisements.
Findings
The paper demonstrates that today’s “new ways of working” are by no means new. It shows that the concepts of mobile offices, paperless offices, videoconferencing and flexible workplaces all originate from the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s. It also shows that these concepts were far from mainstream, standing in stark contrast to the rigidity and conservatism of everyday office life at the time.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is the first result of a larger historical analysis of the recent history of the work environment. Further historical research will add to the presented insight in the evolution of office concepts.
Practical implications
The paper’s insight into the historical development of office concepts can help workplace strategists to make better, more careful forecasts of future workplace trends.
Originality/value
Whereas most literature on the office concept tends to look at novel ideas and future developments, this paper looks back at the recent past. It discusses early workplace experiments that have been largely ignored, or remained unidentified, in much of the discourse on new ways of working.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the origins of today’s new office concepts, focusing on the emergence of mobile and flexible working practices in the 1960s and 1970s. Thereby it intends to add a sense of historical awareness to the ongoing debate about the work environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The historical description is based on literature study, looking at research reports, design handbooks and depictions of office life in popular culture such as movies and advertisements.
Findings
The paper demonstrates that today’s “new ways of working” are by no means new. It shows that the concepts of mobile offices, paperless offices, videoconferencing and flexible workplaces all originate from the end of the 1960s and the early 1970s. It also shows that these concepts were far from mainstream, standing in stark contrast to the rigidity and conservatism of everyday office life at the time.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is the first result of a larger historical analysis of the recent history of the work environment. Further historical research will add to the presented insight in the evolution of office concepts.
Practical implications
The paper’s insight into the historical development of office concepts can help workplace strategists to make better, more careful forecasts of future workplace trends.
Originality/value
Whereas most literature on the office concept tends to look at novel ideas and future developments, this paper looks back at the recent past. It discusses early workplace experiments that have been largely ignored, or remained unidentified, in much of the discourse on new ways of working.
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