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The physical environment of office work: Future open plan offices

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  • Oluremi B Ayoko
  • Neal M Ashkanasy

Abstract

Different configurations of the physical environment of office work are rapidly changing the way office workers behave and perform at work. In particular, organisations today are progressively accommodating their employees in open plan offices (OPOs). In this article, we focus on the OPO and discuss its future and implications for research and practice. Specifically, we build on recent advances in the field to propose that new OPO configurations will require new forms of work behaviour involving new processes and practices, and new research approaches. In addition, we discuss possible areas of work that OPO environments of the future might affect; for example, work design, interpersonal processes, noise and distractions, human resource management (HRM) practices and leadership. Along these lines, we suggest future research directions and make recommendations to navigate the intersection of organisational behaviour (OB) and OPO research and practice. JEL Classification: M19

Suggested Citation

  • Oluremi B Ayoko & Neal M Ashkanasy, 2020. "The physical environment of office work: Future open plan offices," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 45(3), pages 488-506, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ausman:v:45:y:2020:i:3:p:488-506
    DOI: 10.1177/0312896220921913
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Toker, Umut & Gray, Denis O., 2008. "Innovation spaces: Workspace planning and innovation in U.S. university research centers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 309-329, March.
    2. Maaninen-Olsson, Eva & Müllern, Tomas, 2009. "A contextual understanding of projects--The importance of space and time," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 327-339, September.
    3. Joanna Becker, 2004. "Making sustainable development evaluations work," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 12(4), pages 200-211.
    4. Taylor, Frederick Winslow, 1911. "The Principles of Scientific Management," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, number taylor1911.
    5. DeCanio, Stephen J., 2016. "Robots and humans – complements or substitutes?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 280-291.
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    Cited by:

    1. Iris Vilnai-Yavetz & Anat Rafaeli, 2021. "Workspace Integration and Sustainability: Linking the Symbolic and Social Affordances of the Workspace to Employee Wellbeing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Ayoko, Oluremi B. & Ashkanasy, Neal M. & Li, Yiqiong & Dorris, Alana & Jehn, Karen A., 2023. "An experience sampling study of employees’ reactions to noise in the open-plan office," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    3. Thomas A. Norton & Oluremi B. Ayoko & Neal M. Ashkanasy, 2021. "A Socio-Technical Perspective on the Application of Green Ergonomics to Open-Plan Offices: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-22, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Employee interactions; future of work; open plan office;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M19 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Other

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