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Saw the office, want the job: The effect of creative workspace design on organizational attractiveness
Abstract
Attracting talent is key for every organization. This research introduces a novel way to attract talent: creative workspace design. In two studies with complementary samples and methods, we examine whether, when, and how a firm's creative workspace design enhances organizational attractiveness. In Study 1, we use an experimental design to examine the attraction effect of creative (vs. conventional) workspace design from the applicant's perspective. First and foremost, we find that creative workspace design has a positive effect on organizational attractiveness. Second, our findings reveal two underlying mechanisms that help to explain this positive attraction effect: perceived climate for creativity and perceived innovation ability of the firm. Moreover, findings show that this attraction effect is stronger for highly creative (vs. less creative) individuals and attenuated for high-value (vs. low-value) workspaces. In Study 2, we validate the positive attraction effect of creative workspace design from the firm's perspective by using international survey data on a firm level. Taken together, this work sheds new light on how workspace design influences organizational attractiveness, elucidates why and when applicants are attracted by creative workspace design, and provides actionable implications for practice.
... First, there was a need to expand the number of existing workplaces to accommodate a larger workforce, and the ABW layout was considered more efficient in terms of space and equipment. Second, the new work environment was expected to increase the company's attractiveness as an employer in the ongoing war for talent (Maier et al., 2022). Finally, the company anticipated that this more autonomous and flexible way of working would enhance employee satisfaction, interdepartmental communication, productivity and creativity. ...
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate whether activity-based workspaces (ABWs) are able to solve the privacy-communication trade-off known from fixed-desk offices. In fixed-desk offices, employees work in private or open-plan offices (or in combi-offices) with fixed workstations, which support either privacy or communication, respectively. However, both dimensions are essential to effective employee performance, which creates the dilemma known as the privacy-communication trade-off. In activity-based workspaces, flexible workstations and the availability of different spaces may solve this dilemma, but clear empirical evidence on the matter is unavailable.
Design/methodology/approach
To address this knowledge gap, the authors surveyed knowledge workers ( N = 363) at a medium-sized German company at three time points (T1–T3) over a one-year period during the company’s move from a fixed-desk combi-office (a combination of private and open-plan offices with fixed workplaces) to an ABW. Using a quantitative survey, the authors evaluated the employees’ perceived privacy and perceived communication in the old (T1) and the new work environments (T2 and T3).
Findings
The longitudinal study revealed a significant increase in employees’ perceived privacy and perceived communication in the ABW. These increases remained stable in the long term, which implies that ABWs have a lasting positive impact on employees.
Originality/value
As the privacy and communication dimensions were previously considered mutually exclusive in a single workplace, the results confirm that ABWs can balance privacy and communication, providing optimal conditions for enhanced employee performance.
... First, there was a need to expand the number of existing workplaces to accommodate a larger workforce, and the ABW layout was considered more efficient in terms of space and equipment. Second, the new work environment was expected to increase the company's attractiveness as an employer in the ongoing war for talent (Maier et al., 2022). Finally, the company anticipated that this more autonomous and flexible way of working would enhance employee satisfaction, interdepartmental communication, productivity and creativity. ...
Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate whether activity-based workspaces (ABWs) are able to
solve the privacy-communication trade-off known from fixed-desk offices. In fixed-desk offices, employees
work in private or open-plan offices (or in combi-offices) with fixed workstations, which support either
privacy or communication, respectively. However, both dimensions are essential to effective employee
performance, which creates the dilemma known as the privacy-communication trade-off. In activity-based
workspaces, flexible workstations and the availability of different spaces may solve this dilemma, but clear
empirical evidence on the matter is unavailable.
Design/methodology/approach – To address this knowledge gap, the authors surveyed knowledge
workers (N = 363) at a medium-sized German company at three time points (T1–T3) over a one-year period
during the company’s move from a fixed-desk combi-office (a combination of private and open-plan offices
with fixed workplaces) to an ABW. Using a quantitative survey, the authors evaluated the employees’
perceived privacy and perceived communication in the old (T1) and the new work environments (T2 and T3).
Findings – The longitudinal study revealed a significant increase in employees’ perceived privacy and
perceived communication in the ABW. These increases remained stable in the long term, which implies that
ABWs have a lasting positive impact on employees.
Originality/value – As the privacy and communication dimensions were previously considered mutually
exclusive in a single workplace, the results confirm that ABWs can balance privacy and communication,
providing optimal conditions for enhanced employee performance.
The Great Resignation indicates that many organizations are grappling with the human resource challenge of staff retention and turnover, in which fit plays a prominent role. Extrapolating the role of fit, this study investigates the effects of person‐organization fit, need‐supply fit, and demand‐ability fit on turnover intention. The study also investigates whether need‐supply fit and demand‐ability fit mediates the effect of person‐organization fit on turnover intention. The data gathered from 250 full‐time faculty members was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) through SmartPLS. The results showed that (i) need‐supply fit and person‐organization fit had a negative and direct impact on turnover intentions, (ii) the impact of demand‐ability fit on turnover intention was insignificant, and (iii) the association between person‐organization fit and turnover intention is mediated by need‐supply fit. These findings are useful for management and practitioners in designing strategies that enhance employees’ compatibility with their workplace and help in reducing employees’ turnover intention. Noteworthily, this is one of the first research to look at the direct and indirect effects of person‐organization fit on turnover intention through need‐supply fit and demand‐ability fit.
In recent years an increasing number of organizations have started to rethink their physical work environments and recognized the value of having activity-based workspaces (ABWs). This allows employees to choose freely between several work environments based on their specific task. There is growing debate amongst researchers about the effects of ABWs on employee behavior, but companies are still not aware of the options available or the consequences of moving to an ABW layout. This single-case, exploratory study uses 36 interviews and multiple data sources in a German organization leading in use of ABWs to generate insight into this topic. We develop a taxonomy of ABWs and analyze how various design parameters affect how people perform in ABWs regarding communication, leadership, working style, and work performance. We relate these findings to previous research and develop a cause-effects framework of ABWs. Against these findings, we generate recommendations for future research and practice.
Distraction from the background environment while performing concentrationdemanding tasks is a common issue for office employees in shared work areas. However, few field studies have been conducted on the effects of different office types and work areas on objective measurements of cognitive performance. The first aim of the present field study was to investigate, before relocation to an activity-based workplace (ABW), differences in performance on a concentration-demanding cognitive task between individuals in shared/open-plan offices compared to cell offices. The second aim was to investigate, after relocation, how performance differs (withinperson) between different work areas within the ABW. This study included employees from five offices (n = 113), of which four relocated into an ABW. An acoustician measured the equivalent sound levels of the work areas. Data were analyzed using linear regression (aim 1) and mixed models (aim 2). Before relocation, employees working in shared/open-plan offices performed significantly worse (14%) than those in cell-offices, which had a 15 LAeq lower noise level. After relocation, employees performed significantly worse in the active zone without noise restrictions, compared to all other work areas. When shifting open-plan area from the active zone to the quiet zone cognitive performance increased significantly by 16.9%, and switching to individual working rooms increased performance by 21.9%. The results clearly demonstrate the importance for organizations to provide quiet areas or rooms with few distractions for employees working on tasks that demand concentration in an ABW. A daily drop in performance for each employee may be expensive for the organization in the long run.
The term “creative space” describes a relatively recent phenomenon of innovative workplace design. Such creative workspaces are becoming popular in industry and academia. However, the impact of specific spatial design decisions on creativity and innovation is not yet fully understood. This paper provides an overview of state-of-the-art research on creative work and learning environments. We conducted a systematic literature search within the Scopus database and identified a total of 73 relevant sources discussing creative spaces within academic, practice, and other innovation environments. Among the included sources are 51 academic publications and 22 sources from company research and illustrative coffee-table books. We analyzed the sources using three lenses of interest: (1) the types of theoretical and practical contributions that are provided, (2) the spatial characteristics that are suggested to be beneficial for creativity and innovation, and (3) the discussed potential of new technologies for designing or researching creative spaces. The results provide in-depth insight into the current state of research on the topic of creative spaces. Practitioners, educators, and researchers can use the presented overview to investigate the possible impact of creative workspace design and identify research gaps that can be filled by conducting further research in the field.
The design of the workspace can be an indicator for an organization’s innovation culture. This paper introduces a canvas-based collaboration tool that facilitates both, team-based analysis of existing workspaces regarding the expressed culture, and co-creating spatial design ideas with the goal to instigate a cultural change. This two-way approach is also reflected in the canvas design. We describe the development process of the canvas and its evaluation through a workshop. As a result, the contribution of this paper is twofold: (1) It informs practitioners about the relevance of spatial workspace design for cultural change, and (2) it provides insights on an atypical canvas design.
When organizations adopt activity-based workplaces (ABWs), improved interaction is a common goal. Yet, few controlled longitudinal studies have been conducted on the effects of ABWs on interaction, social relations and work demands. The aim of this natural intervention study was to investigate the effects of moving into an ABW on satisfaction with communication, on social relations (i.e., social support and social community) and on work demands (i.e., quantitative demands, emotional demands and work pace) 3 months and 12 months after the relocation. The study included four offices which relocated into an ABW and one control office that did not. Questionnaire data from 408 respondents were analyzed with linear mixed models. Satisfaction with communication and the sense of belonging to a community had decreased 3 and 12 months after the relocation. Work pace was not affected while small, mostly short-term, negative effects on social support, quantitative demands and emotional demands were only observed among employees who had moved to ABWs from private offices. Differences between office sites were also observed. The results suggest that, to avoid negative outcomes, organizations moving to ABWs should focus on solving difficulties in locating colleagues at the office and on supporting particularly workers from private offices in adopting activity-based working.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare different employee perceptions of the success of one change: a move to new offices and an open-plan design.
Design/methodology/approach
In sum, 25 interviews were carried out in a New Zealand law firm that six months earlier had moved to new premises.
Findings
Contrary to academic and practitioner reports that open-plan offices are disliked, participants appreciated the new office space. A well-planned and highly participative program of change management led to positive perceptions of aesthetic design, open communication, collegiality, egalitarianism and inclusiveness.
Research limitations/implications
Given the small sample used in one organization, the study highlights the need for more research into the processes and outcomes of office space changes.
Originality/value
The roles of communication and culture, in particular, collegiality and egalitarianism, were salient factors in a complex web of causes and consequences in this context of change.
This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art research about creative work and learning environments. We conducted a systematic literature search within the Scopus database and identified a total of 70 relevant sources discussing creative spaces within academic, practice, or other innovation environments. Among the included sources are 48 academic publications and 22 sources from company research and illustrative coffee-table books that are discussed separately. We analyse the academic sources regarding their theoretical contribution, as well as regarding their scope. Finally, the included sources are categorized according to three areas of interest: (1) the addressed space types for different creative activities, (2) abstracted requirements for creative spaces, and (3) concrete characteristics and configurations of a creative space. The results provide an in-depth insight into the current state of research on the topic of creative spaces. Practitioners, educators, and researchers can use the presented overview to investigate the possible impact of creative workspace design and to identify research gaps for conducting further research in the field.
Given the struggle that many organizations face hiring and retaining talent in today’s tight labor market, it is critical to understand how to effectively reward employees. To address this question, we review relevant evidence that explains the importance of workplace rewards and recognition. Based on a review and synthesis of the current literature, we make the case that organizations should move beyond salary and traditional cash rewards to place greater emphasis on nonpecuniary, tangible and intangible rewards and recognition initiatives. We further highlight the importance of aligning rewards with universal psychological needs. Finally, we discuss the need to conduct more research to understand when and for whom cash and noncash rewards increase intrinsic motivation, organizational commitment and optimal functioning in order to improve the design and implementation of existing reward programs.
In order for companies to realize their organizational visions, they need staff who are high-potential and looking toward the future. Due to the demographic, social and economic situation in Europe, the labor market is already reflecting a lack of high-quality human resources (HR), which inspires research into and planned management of high-potential, i.e., talented, employees. Companies are aware that only those organizations that recognize this area as crucial and invest resources into it will be successful in the “war for talent.” The purpose of the study was to research the field of talent management from the perspective of the definition of what the talent management process means for companies, how to attract and recognize talented employees, what development activities to provide them with and how to measure their performance and progress. We employed an exploratory approach, using the method of semi-structured interviews to gather information from 21 HR professionals who work at medium-sized and large Slovenian companies. We found that these organizations use various approaches and activities to attract and develop talented employees. At two thirds of the companies, performance is measured using annual evaluation interviews, by measuring the meeting of targets and evaluations by superiors. The biggest challenges in the field are attracting talented employees and positioning the organization as a desirable employer. The study is useful primarily as an overview of the field and of best practices, which companies can use to argument their existing processes.
In recent years, companies have increasingly focused on innovative workspaces to enhance employee creativity. These new workspace concepts break with conventional office designs. Google, Apple, and Facebook are typical examples of companies that have received considerable media attention for their unique workspaces. Nowadays, many other organizations deal with the challenge of designing such creativity-enhancing workspaces. In contrast to this high practical relevance, the literature lacks an overview reflecting the present state of research on how to design such work environments. To bridge this gap, we conduct a systematic literature review to draw a comprehensive overview of existing empirical research on creativity-enhancing workspaces. Empirical evidence shows that designing creative workspaces is by no means a trivial task, because the physical work environment can both enhance and inhibit creativity in organizations. We categorize characteristics of creative workspaces and offer insights into how workspaces should be designed so that they foster creativity. Finally, we derive implications for both theory and practice, and conclude with suggestions for future research.
In this article we develop the analysis and the conceptualization of the relationship between play and work within the increasingly aestheticized working life, drawing on the scholarship of Jacques Rancière and using images of playful office interiors as our empirical case. In doing so, we are able to add to the theorization of the uneasy relationship between the subordination of employee imagination and self to the agendas of the employer, typical of wage labor, and the strive for heteronomy and refiguring of the social order, characteristic of play.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the current trend of designing workspaces to foster creativity. The paper brings forth themes that seem to be connected with the so-called ‘creative workspaces’. The paper discusses how the findings relate to recent theory and research. Finally, the paper develops propositions to further elaborate the issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts an inductive and social constructionist approach. In all, 40 internet pictures of workspaces claimed to be creative among a broad range of industries and companies which were analyzed through an aesthetic lens and compared to what theory and research about organizational creativity and space inform us.
Findings
The designs of ‘creative workspaces’ follow a rather standardized and deterministic assumption of what kind of spaces are considered to produce creativity: open offices, happy, playful communities of close-knit teams and spatial arrangements that resemble home, symbols and memories, sports, technology and nature. This view of creativity and workspaces remains a management fad unless a more balanced approach to the issue is assumed.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is not to be representative and the findings generalizable as such, but to bring forth the phenomenon. This exploratory and inductive approach calls for a systematic study to prove the propositions in a more controlled research setting and with a bigger sample.
Practical implications
The paper makes a few suggestions of what companies should pay attention to when building workspaces to improve organizational creativity – and to overcome the fad.
Social implications
The proposed end-user perspective may ultimately save costs, if people can voice their needs on the space arrangements from the beginning and throughout the building process, not only after the spaces are fully complete, as is typically the case.
Originality/value
The paper provides a critical view on the trend of building work spaces to purposefully enhance organizational creativity. It brings forth themes that are connected to creativity and workspace designs and suggests that more nuances are involved in the issue.
Background:
Improving social support, and providing nature contact at work are potential health promoting workplace interventions.
Objective:
The objective was to investigate whether nature contact at work is associated with employee's health and participation, and to study whether the possible associations between nature contact and health can be explained by perceived organizational support.
Method:
Data were collected through a web-based, cross-sectional survey of employees in seven public and private office workplaces in Norway (n = 707, 40% response rate). Multiple linear and logistic regression analysis were performed on 565 participants fulfilling inclusion criteria.
Results:
A greater amount of indoor nature contact at work was significantly associated with less job stress (B = -0.18, CI = -0.318 to -0.042), fewer subjective health complaints (B = -0.278, CI = -0.445 to -0.112) and less sickness absence (B = -0.061, CI = -0.009 to -0.002). Perceived organizational support mediated the associations between indoor nature contact and job stress and sickness absence, and partly mediated the association with subjective health complaints. Outdoor nature contact showed no reliable association with the outcomes in this study.
Conclusions:
Extending nature contact in the physical work environment in offices, can add to the variety of possible health-promoting workplace interventions, primarily since it influences the social climate on the workplace.
The State of Personnel Selection Research An Expanded Problem Space: Selection to Differentiate the Firm Directions for Future Research Conclusion Acknowledgments References
Our focus is on organizational culture and climate and the role that these constructs play in understanding individual as well as collective attitudes, behavior, and performance. We begin with the assumption that both constructs rest upon the notion of shared meanings or a shared understanding of aspects of the organizational context. Climate is defined as a perceptually based description of the what the organization is like in terms of practices, policies, procedures, and routines while culture helps define the underlying reasons and mechanisms for why these things occur in an organization based on fundamental ideologies, assumptions, values, and artifacts. The first half of the chapter provides a comprehensive review of the culture and climate literatures. The second half is framed around a multilevel model that integrates culture and climate through the linking mechanism of organizational structure, practices, and policies. This discussion elucidates a set of mechanisms that foster the emergence of organizational culture and climate and highlights the impact of weak emergent processes on individual and organizational outcomes. We then discuss the topic of culture and climate change and conclude by reviewing directions for future research.
Keywords:
emergent processes;
levels of analysis;
organizational climate;
organizational culture;
shared perceptions
We adopted an interactionist perspective to investigate how the personality characteristics of self-esteem (SE) and need for achievement (nAch) moderated the influences of organizational characteristics on individuals' attraction to firms. Subjects read an organization description that manipulated reward structure, centralization, organization size, and geographical dispersion of plants and offices and indicated their attraction to the organization. Although subjects were more attracted to firms that were decentralized and that based pay on performance, results supported the interactionist perspective. Subjects with low SE were more attracted to decentralized and larger firms than high SE subjects. Subjects high in nAch were more attracted to organizations that rewarded performance rather than seniority. Finally, organization size influenced attraction differently for individuals high and low in nAch.
Current trends in telecommuting and non-territorial office design have changed what it means to work in an on-site office and, subsequently, have increased the number of functions office design is expected to serve. At the same time, innovations in technology and design provide today's managers more choices than ever when outfitting their offices. This article offers a framework of leveraged office design that illustrates how managers can make design choices that both capitalize on the newest innovations in office design and serve the emerging needs of corporate workers. The framework specifically explores three functions of workplace design: instrumental functions, such as improving decision making and inter-group collaboration; symbolic functions, such as affirming individual distinctiveness and group status; and aesthetic functions, such as allowing for desired sensory experiences and promoting a sense of place attachment. This framework illustrates how organizations can capitalize on all three functions through their choices in office décor and layout.
Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) are widely implemented for organizational purposes including recruitment. Theoretically, these arrangements alter temporal and physical boundaries around work. However, the time and place dimensions are frequently confounded in research, making the separate and joint effect of each on various outcomes unclear. To determine the relative importance of FWA dimensions as anticipated resources, this study experimentally manipulates discretion over when (flextime) and where (flexplace) one is expected to work on anticipated organizational support (AOS) and organization attraction. Prospective employees (N = 130) participated in a 3 × 3 within-subject experiment in which they rated nine hypothetical organizations that varied in flextime and flexplace. Results indicated main effects for both flextime and flexplace on both AOS and organization attraction with flextime having the stronger impact. Although the combination of a high level of both flextime and flexplace yielded the highest ratings of AOS and organization attraction, the interaction between flextime and flexplace was not statistically significant, suggesting flextime and flexplace have independent effects on recruitment outcomes. Relationships between flextime and flexplace and organizational attraction were slightly stronger for individuals who prefer to integrate their work and non-work roles. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed.
This paper tests the application of brand management techniques to human resource management (HR). The context is set by defining the ‘Employer Brand’ concept and reviewing current HR concerns. Pilot qualitative research is reported with top executives of 27 UK companies, who were asked to reflect on their HR practices and the relevance of branding. This exploratory research indicates that marketing can indeed be applied to the employment situation. Bringing these functionally separate roles closer together would bring mutual benefit and lead to comparable performance measures, eg, trust and commitment. Strong corporate equity with the brand's customers can improve the return on HR, while at the same time improved HR can improve the return on brand equity from external customers. Formal, larger scale research would be required to substantiate the reciprocal benefits from a closer alignment of HR and marketing practices.
Background:
Based on improvements in indoor environmental quality claims are that 'green' buildings are healthier and promote greater productivity than conventional buildings. However, the empirical evidence over the last decade has been inconclusive, usually with flawed study designs.
Objective:
This study explored whether a 'green' building leads to a healthier, more productive work environment.
Methods:
A one-year, longitudinal comparison of two groups of employees of a large commercial bank; a group that moved into a GreenStar-accredited building and a group that stayed in a conventional building, was conducted. Measures of psychological wellbeing, physical wellbeing, productivity, and perceptions of the physical environment were taken before the move, six months later, and one year later.
Results:
Results indicate that the 'green' building group had significantly increased self-reported productivity and physical wellbeing. The perceptions of the physical work environment indicate that respondents in the 'green' building group experienced significant air quality improvements (specifically, reduced stale air, better ventilation, improved air movement, reduced humidity, and conditions that were not too drafty) but perceived the lighting conditions as dimmer.
Conclusion:
Despite positive findings 'green' building rating tools require amendment to focus on those qualities that actually lead to improved wellbeing and productivity.
In this field study, we develop and test a theory regarding the role of trust in the work environment as a critical condition that determines the relationship between psychological ownership, territoriality, and being perceived as a team contributor. We argue that, dependent upon the context of trust in the work environment, psychological ownership may lead to territorial behaviors of claiming and anticipatory defending and that, dependent upon the context of trust, territorial behavior may lead coworkers to negatively judge the territorial employee as less of a team contributor. A sample of working adults reported on their psychological ownership and territorial behavior toward an important object at work, and a coworker of each provided evaluations on the level of trust in the work environment and rated the focal individual's contributions to the team. Findings suggest that a work environment of trust is a “double-edged sword”: On the one hand, a high trust environment reduces the territorial behavior associated with psychological ownership; on the other hand, when territorial behavior does occur in high trust environments, coworkers rate the territorial employee's contributions to the team significantly lower. We discuss the nature and management of territorial behavior in light of these findings.
The main objective of the study presented in this article was to examine the relationship between trait curiosity and two self-concept constructs which are gaining popularity in the creativity literature - creative self-efficacy (CSE) and creative personal identity (CPI). Although the role of curiosity in creativity seems well established, in fact there is little empirical evidence of the relationship between curiosity treated as a trait and both CSE and CPI. In a study conducted on a sample of middle and high school Polish students (N = 284; 55% female, aged 13-18, M = 14.74, SD = 1.14), curiosity was measured by the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory (CEI-II; Kashdan, Gallagher, Silvia, Winterstein, Breen, Terhar, & Steger, 2009) and CSE and CPI by the Short Scale of Creative Self (SSCS; Karwowski, Lebuda, & Wiśniewska, in press). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the existence of substantial correlations between measured constructs. Latent factor of CSE correlated strongly with a tendency to seek out new experiences (stretching, r =.72) and an acceptance of unpredictability (embracing, r =.67), while CPI correlated substantially with stretching (r =.62) and slightly less with embracing (r =.48) - all correlations were highly reliable (p <.001). Hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis showed the existence of a strong relationship between the higher-order factor of curiosity (composed of stretching and embracing) and creative self (composed of CSE and CPI): r =.75, which may indicate common basis of creativity and curiosity. The consequences of curiosity for the development of CSE and CPI are discussed.
Signaling theory is useful for describing behavior when two parties (individuals or organizations) have access to different information. Typically, one party, the sender, must choose whether and how to communicate (or signal) that information, and the other party, the receiver, must choose how to interpret the signal. Accordingly, signaling theory holds a prominent position in a variety of management literatures, including strategic management, entrepreneurship, and human resource management. While the use of signaling theory has gained momentum in recent years, its central tenets have become blurred as it has been applied to organizational concerns. The authors, therefore, provide a concise synthesis of the theory and its key concepts, review its use in the management literature, and put forward directions for future research that will encourage scholars to use signaling theory in new ways and to develop more complex formulations and nuanced variations of the theory.
Modern organizations struggle with staffing challenges stemming from increased knowledge work, labor shortages, competition for applicants, and workforce diversity. Yet, despite such critical needs for effective staffing practice, staffing research continues to be neglected or misunderstood by many organizational decision makers. Solving these challenges requires staffing scholars to expand their focus from individual-level recruitment and selection research to multilevel research demonstrating the business unit/organizational-level impact of staffing. Toward this end, this review provides a selective and critical analysis of staffing best practices covering literature from roughly 2000 to the present. Several research-practice gaps are also identified.
Makerspaces have become some of the most important environments for nurturing creativity in the 21st century. This study proposed that a rounded versus an angular physical work environment (RA-PWE) in makerspaces has different effects on makers’ divergent and convergent creativity. The results of a survey with makers in 15 makerspaces and two experiments indicated that a rounded physical work environment (Rounded-PWE) was more likely to enhance divergent creativity than an angular physical work environment (Angular-PWE), while an Angular-PWE was more likely to enhance convergent creativity than a Rounded-PWE. The underlying process identified showed that a Rounded-PWE was more likely to activate approach motivation, while an Angular-PWE was more likely to activate avoidance motivation, in turn enhancing divergent or convergent creativity. This study makes theoretical contributions to research on PWE, creativity, and motivation and provides practical implications for managers and designers of makerspaces and other spaces.
Although prior research has addressed the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on perceived customer responses, it is not clear whether CSR affects market value of the firm. This study develops and tests a conceptual framework, which predicts that (1) customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between CSR and firm market value (i.e., Tobin's q and stock return), (2) corporate abilities (innovativeness capability and product quality) moderate the financial returns to CSR, and (3) these moderated relationships are mediated by customer satisfaction. Based on a large-scale secondary data set, the results show support for this framework. Notably, the authors find that in firms with low innovativeness capability, CSR actually reduces customer satisfaction levels and, through the lowered satisfaction, harms market value. The uncovered mediated and asymmetrically moderated results offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.
Office layout features and organizational culture have independently been shown to influence employee job satisfaction; however, little is known about whether office layout influences organizational culture. This study had two aims. The first was to investigate the association between office layout and organizational culture. The second was to investigate whether organizational culture mediates the relationship between office layout and job satisfaction. A total of 202 Australian workers completed an online survey. Structural equation modelling revealed that office layout features were significantly and positively associated with ratings of organizational culture. Additionally, culture ratings were shown to mediate the relationship between the office layout features and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that perceptions of office layout can influence employees’ perceptions of the organizational culture and important employee attitudes.
Inspired by research that demonstrates the positive effects of nature-based imagery on wellbeing and cognitive performance, the current research aims to study to what extent nature imagery can also enhance creative performance. To this end, imagery presenting green settings varying in unpredictability and spaciousness was displayed before and during a creative drawing task in a high school classroom. After completion participants additionally filled out a questionnaire comprising self-report measures for perceived creativity and positive affect. Both unpredictability and spaciousness enhanced creative performance, with images combining these two factors being particularly inspiring. Furthermore, spaciousness resulted in higher self-reported creativity. The effects of unpredictability and spaciousness on positive affect were not significant. These findings demonstrate that nature imagery has the potential to increase creativity in individuals and warrant follow-up studies that may further clarify the role of spaciousness, unpredictability, and potentially other creativity-enhancing features of nature imagery.
Recruiting high potentials is the foundation for creating knowledge, innovation and competitive advantages. Unfortunately, many companies face the problem of having a hard time recruiting high potentials in a tightening labor market. To secure future innovation, growth and competitiveness companies must be attractive for potential employees. Within this respect, past research suggests that innovative companies might be at an advantage as they appear more attractive to employees in general and to those with an innovative personality in specific. Hence, HR communication might use an organization’s innovativeness within employer branding to attract high potentials. However, current literature falls short to provide empirical evidence on whether and how the communication of organizational innovativeness affects employer attractiveness and especially attracts innovative employees. The results of our scenario-based experiment (n=322) show that organizations with an innovative product portfolio and a strong innovation culture appear more attractive to potential employees. These effects turned out to be even stronger for employees which are highly innovative as they care a great deal about the organizational innovativeness of the company they work for. Thus, our findings suggest that communicating organizational innovativeness within employer branding is an effective measure not only to improve employer perceptions in general, but also to attract innovative employees.
The purpose of this study was to provide evidence that there is a relationship between the quality of the physical environment and employee satisfaction.A quasi-field experiment was conducted in an open-plan office of 135 employees. The office was refurbished in various ways to achieve e.g. better thermal conditions, visual and acoustic privacy, ergonomics, interior design, and lower spatial density. All employees were sent a questionnaire twice: before and after the refurbishment. The physical measurements were also conducted twice. Significant improvements were found in nearly all inquired aspects of environmental satisfaction. They could be logically traced to the physical changes provided by the refurbishment. The improvements could also be supported by the physical measurements. Both environmental and job satisfaction were improved. Qualified change management, involvement of employees and carefully designed refurbishment agenda were together believed to be the main reasons for the improvement of job satisfaction.
Most employees personalize their workspaces with photos, memorabilia, and other items-even in the face of constraints such as rules prohibiting personalization. This prevalent use of objects likely reveals much about intrapersonal and interpersonal processes at work. By analyzing employee interviews and workspace inventories and observations, we discover that the objects with which employees personalize their workspaces (and even the absence of such objects) symbolize who they are and who they want to be. Through their symbolic representations of self, they find common, ground (often through shared nonwork experiences), establish a common understanding of employees' work roles, and share personalistic information about the self-all of which contribute to relationship development among employees and their coworkers, customers, and clients. With, symbolic representations of self that offer an optimal amount of stimulation, they focus their attention on their goals and values and establish a desired boundary or integration between work and nonwork-both of which contribute to employees' self-regulation. Our findings support the importance of examining micro-level processes related to the physical work environment, as we find that employees shape their work environment in ways that affect both their relationships at work and their self-regulatory functions.
This research examined the relationships between objective office characteristics (openness, office density, workspace density, accessibility, and office darkness) and several measures of employee reactions (satisfaction, behavior during discretionary periods, and spatial markers). In addition, the research examined the extent to which three sets of intervening variables explained these relationships. The intervening variables were interpersonal experiences (conflict, friendship opportunities, agent feedback), job experiences (task significance, autonomy, task identity), and environmental experiences (crowding, concentration, privacy). Data were collected from 114 clerical employees of 19 offices. Each of the office characteristics related significantly to one or more of the employee reaction measures. Moreover, office characteristics affected several employee reactions through their impact on the intervening variables.
Few companies measure whether the design of their workspaces helps or hurts performance, but they should. The authors have collected data that capture individuals' interactions, communications, and location information. They've learned that face-to-face interactions are by far the most important activity in an office; creating chance encounters between knowledge workers, both inside and outside the organization, improves performance. The Norwegian telecom company Telenor was ahead of its time in 2003, when it incorporated "hot desking" (no assigned seats) and spaces that could easily be reconfigured for different tasks and evolving teams. The CEO credits the design of the offices with helping Telenor shift from a state-run monopoly to a competitive multinational carrier with 150 million subscribers. In another example, data collected at one pharmaceuticals company showed that when a salesperson increased interactions with coworkers on other teams by 10%, his or her sales increased by 10%. To get the sales staff running into colleagues from other departments, management shifted from one coffee machine for every six employees to one for every 120 and created a new large cafeteria for everyone. Sales rose by 20%, or $200 million, afterjust one quarter, quickly justifying the capital investment in the redesign.
Purpose
– The purpose of this study is to explore the potential positive effects of the design of a physical organisational environment on the emergence of an organisational culture conducive to organisational creativity.
Design/methodology/approach
– The study is based on an in-depth, longitudinal case study, the aim being to enhance understanding of how a change in physical space, including location, spatial organisation and architectonic details, supports cultural change.
Findings
– It is suggested that physical space plays an implicit yet significant role in the emergence of a culture conducive to organisational creativity. It appears from the case analysis that there are three aspects of culture in particular, equality, openness and collectivity, that may be positively affected by the design of an organisation’s physical environment.
Practical implications
– The careful choice, planning and design of an organisation’s physical location, layout and style can advance the appearance of an organisational culture conducive to creativity.
Originality/value
– The paper describes a longitudinal study comparing a case organisation before and after a change in its physical environment. The longitudinal data illustrates how a change in the spatial environment contributes to the emergence of a culture conducive to organisational creativity.
We used meta‐analysis and semipartial correlations to examine the relative strength and incremental variance accounted for by 7 categories of recruiting predictors across multiple recruitment stages on applicant attraction. Based on 232 studies (250 samples, 3,518 coefficients, n= 108,632), we found that characteristics of the job, organization, and recruitment process, recruiter behaviors, perceived fit, and hiring expectancies (but not perceived alternatives) accounted for unique variance in applicant attraction at multiple stages. Perceived fit was the strongest relative and unique variance predictor of applicant attraction albeit a nonsignificant predictor of job choice. Although not among the largest zero‐order predictors, recruiter behaviors accounted for substantial incremental variance at the first 2 stages. Organizational characteristics are more heavily weighed by applicants when maintaining applicant status as compared to the stage of application, and recruitment process characteristics are weighed progressively more as the recruitment stages advance. Job characteristics accounted for the greatest unique variance in job choice decisions. Job characteristics are more predictive in field studies, whereas recruiter behaviors, recruitment process characteristics, hiring expectancies, and perceived alternatives produced larger effect sizes in the laboratory. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications with future research suggestions.
The authors study consumer perceptions of firms that sell products designed by users. In contrast with the traditional design mode, in which professional designers employed by firms handle the design task, common design by users involves the firm's user community in creating new product designs for the broader consumer market. In the course of four studies, the authors find that common design by users does not decrease but actually enhances consumers' perceptions of a firm's innovation ability. This "innovation effect of user design" leads to positive outcomes with respect to purchase intentions, willingness to pay, and consumers' willingness to recommend the firm to others. The authors identify four defining characteristics of common design by users that underlie this innovation inference; namely, the number of consumers, the diversity of their background, the lack of company constraints, and the fact that consumer designers actually use the designed product all contribute in building positive perceptions. Finally, the authors identify consumer familiarity with user innovation and the design task's complexity as important moderators that create boundary conditions for the innovation effect of user design.
This article suggests that the analysis of physical environments in organizations should recognize three separate dimensions: instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism. A theoretical framework is presented based on an expansive survey of multiple bodies of literature that study the effects of physical environments of organizations. Two different methodologies are employed to study employee perceptions of the physical environment of their office space and to test and support the three-dimension framework. In a qualitative study, narratives of in-depth interviews relating to office design are evaluated. In a quantitative study, data collected in a survey of 148 office employees provide evidence for the construct validity of three separate dimensions. The three-dimension model described and validated in this study may facilitate the planning and evaluation of office design.
Approximately 70% to 90% of American workers personalize their workspaces. Personalization has many benefits for employees (e.g., enhanced job satisfaction and well-being) and organizations (e.g., improved morale and reduced turnover). Personalization is also related to organizational issues such as employee status, workspace quality, and policies. This study extended the research by examining organizational commitment and culture. It was predicted that highly committed employees personalize more than do less-committed employees and that culture has an indirect effect on personalization. Thus, 172 office employees from 19 businesses were surveyed. Path analyses revealed that employee commitment was only indirectly related to personalization through status. As expected, organizational culture had an indirect effect on personalization, via personalization policies or norms and employee status. Thus, this research suggests for the first time that the primary predictors of workspace personalization are organizational rather than personal. Your workspace most likely reflects your company rather than you.
Research in open office design has shown that it is negatively related to workers’ satisfaction with their physical environment and perceived productivity. A longitudinal study was conducted within a large private organization to investigatethe effects of relocating employees from traditional offices to open offices. A measure was constructed that assessed employees’satisfaction with the physical environment, physical stress, coworker relations, perceived job performance, and the use of open office protocols. The sample consisted of 21 employees who completed the surveys at all three measurement intervals: prior to the move, 4 weeks after the move, and 6 months after the move. Results indicated decreased employee satisfaction with all of the dependent measures following the relocation. Moreover, the employees’dissatisfaction did not abate, even after an adjustment period. Reasons for these findings are discussed and recommendations are presented.
This study examined creativity at work by considering a new construct, creative personal identity, in conjunction with creative self-efficacy and a problem-solving strategy. Results of a field study suggested that creative personal identity explained variance in creativity at work above and beyond creative self-efficacy, but that the two did not interact. Results also indicated support for the interaction of the self-concept and a problem-solving strategy. The positive relationship between creative personal identity and creativity at work was stronger when individuals applied nonwork experiences in efforts to solve work-related problems.
Applicant attraction is vital to the success of an organization. Despite its importance, however, research on it has tended to proceed in a relatively piecemeal way. Accordingly, the authors present a framework for attraction research through an examination of the underlying relevant theories. Specifically, they identify three overarching metatheories focusing on environment processing, interactionist processing, and self-processing that form the basis for their theoretical model. The authors conclude with an examination of future research directions.