The reaction of coworking spaces to the COVID-19 pandemic. A dynamic capabilities perspective

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many firms reassessing how to deal with their communities. In this study, we focus on a coworking space and examine how the management staff and its coworking community reacted to the pandemic. The uniqueness of coworking spaces is that the community is both the paying customer and it is an integral part of the coworking value proposition. For this paper, a case study in Amsterdam was analyzed and the symbiotic relationship between the coworking space and one of its key resources (the community) was examined. We build on dynamic capabilities theory to identify the processes of how a firm and its community maneuver through the pandemic. We propose that in vibrant times, firms and communities should work in close alignment in order to sense, seize, and transform resources and opportunities.

Adjusting and re-adjusting: learnings from the experience of coworkers for the future of coworking and shared working spaces

“…Our participants discussed similar adjustments in professional relationships experienced in CWS but also discussed the social interactions gained from informal interactions and social events. This supported CWS as the “social workplace concept” (Cabral and van Winden, 2022).…”

“…The opportunity for social interaction has led to the label of CWS as the “social workplace concept” (Cabral and van Winden, 2022, p. 258). This social element can come in various forms, such as informal conversations, direct social support through active mediation or indirect affective social support, such as sharing business stress and exchanging knowledge (Gerdenitsch et al , 2016).…”

“…Konya (2020) noted a 72% drop in users across 172 countries post-outbreak. CWS open during the pandemic’s initial phases implemented safety measures including space reconfiguration and online community-building platforms (Cabral and van Winden, 2022).…”

“…As highly flexible professionals responsible for managing their own working arrangements, co-workers have chosen to work in a “social workplace” (Cabral and van Winden, 2022) rather than HBW. Having the opportunity to be a home-based worker, even before the pandemic, but choosing not to, will make an exploration of their adjustment experiences even more valuable.…”

Value co-creation between coworking spaces and startups in different stages of development

“…Thus, Coworking spaces were described as the future of collective offices and as central components for open innovation (RESE et al, 2022). At the end of 2019, COVID-19 emerged unexpectedly and abruptly, and, in the first quarter of 2020, its consequences dramatically impacted political, social, and economic realities (CABRAL & VAN WINDEN, 2022), changing dynamics of work, communication, and interaction, affecting the business models adopted by Coworking spaces (APPEL-MEULENBROEK et al, 2021;MAYERHOFFER, 2021;HOWELL, 2022). As a result, Coworking spaces started to adjust their business models, redefining the value proposition, introducing new services and amenities, and placing more emphasis on personalization and proximity (SPINUZZI et al, 2019;CABRAL & VAN WINDEN, 2022).…”