Your Place or Mine? Organizational Identification and Comfort as Mediators of Relationships Between the Managerial Control of Workspace and Employees' Satisfaction and Well‐being

Abstract

A large body of management and design literature argues that organizational outcomes can be enhanced either by strict managerial control or by managerial enrichment of office space. An alternative model, derived from the social identity approach to organizational life, argues that because they fail to empower workers both strategies are likely to compromise employees' organizational identification and should therefore be associated with sub‐optimal workplace experiences. Two studies (n=288, 1643) were conducted to compare these models. Both indicated that managerial control of space was associated with feelings of physical and psychological discomfort in the office and with lower levels of organizational identification. Discomfort and identification were also found to mediate relationships between managerial control and job satisfaction and well‐being. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Conexão Social Intraorganizacional, Suporte no Trabalho e Identificação Organizacional

“…É importante ressaltar que nenhum dos autores da pesquisa faz ou já fez parte do quadro funcional da organização pesquisada. Atividades com essa natureza oferecem mais possibilidades de escolha dos contatos para interação e tempo para desenvolvimento dos laços, se comparado a organizações manufatureiras (Knight & Haslam, 2010). A seguradora está instalada no sul do país e tem aproximadamente 700 funcionários.…”

Office Design and Dignity at Work in the Knowledge Economy

“…In fact, there is a predominant view among researchers that the Tayloristic approach to office space design is more based on ideology rather than empirical evidence (Knight & Haslam, 2010). Even in new attempts to re-design the workplace according to the demands of the 21 st century office, design decisions are frequently based on managers' perceptions and no research or employee input.…”

“…While there is mounting evidence that the primary rationale for open-plan offices is cost savings and surveillance (Barnes, 2007;Davis et al, 2011), there is a narrative for "coolness", "creativity enhancement", and transparency that has been propagated by star designers, sketchy research and, lately, the visibility of "cool" companies like Apple, Google 3 , and Facebook. Research shows, though, that employees are almost never consulted on their preferences for elements of the office design regardless whether the design is lean and efficient or enriched to enhance employees' comfort (Knight & Haslam, 2010).…”

“…The doctrine dictates tight managerial control of the office space, which is to be designed in simple and efficient ways and mostly benefiting the clients or customers rather than the employees occupying it (Knight & Haslam, 2010). But the knowledge economy is increasingly dependent on professionals whose skills are not easy to replicate.…”

“…In fact, "the physical environment may be utilised [sic] to give tangible expression to a desire for greater control over the work process" (Barnes, 2007, p. 247). Yet, for some reason, work space design is quite marginal in management and psychology research (Knight & Haslam, 2010).…”