The Activity Based Workplace

Much research has been dedicated to figuring out how activity-based working affects people’s behavior and well-being. Much of the research concerns user surveys that measure people’s perceptions rather than their actual behavior and the evidence base is somewhat limited, with a lot of individual case studies and only a few large data studies.

Multiple studies show that worker satisfaction is, for the most part, positively impacted by activity-based working. Some employees tend to appreciate the available spaces for breaks and collaboration, the aesthetics, and the improved interaction with their colleagues. But, there are also reports of dissatisfaction, especially concerning misuse of the concept (e.g. territorial behavior), design mistakes (e.g. bad acoustics), and flawed implementation processes (e.g. a lack of user involvement).

In general, however, the pros seem to outweigh the cons. An extensive Swedish study showed that activity-based working offices, together with cellular offices, generated the highest satisfaction scores, while open-plan offices scored worst.20 Small generational differences It is often argued that activity-based working is more suitable for younger workers than for older ones.

One primary psychological reason for people’s tendency to develop routines, such as using the same desk, is that people often want to remain seated close to their colleagues. It is important to encourage and support mobility in the office as research shows that the more mobile people are, the more satisfied they are with the activity-based working concept. The problem is that there are many factors involved and that the productivity of office workers is usually hard to measure. To deal with this, most studies limit themselves to ‘perceived’ or ‘self-rated productivity. But even then, it is difficult to reach conclusions. Some studies have found positive impacts, others negative ones, and some have found zero effects.

Positive impacts are associated with improved communications and an increased sense of empowerment while negative impacts tend to relate to an increase in distractions and the extra time needed to find a suitable workplace. As with productivity, the available health research is based on self-reported ratings rather than actual measurements of people’s well-being. Activity-based working’s impact seems to have a very positive effect on much of today’s business environment.