Glorifying and scapegoating narratives underlying activity-based workspaces in higher education

Bernadette Nooij*, Claire van Teunenbroek, Christine Teelken, Marcel Veenswijk

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Purpose: Our study centered on activity-based workspaces (ABWs), unassigned open-plan configurations where users’ activities determine the workplace. These workspaces are conceived and shaped by accommodation professionals (APs) like managers and architects and are loaded with their ideas, ideals, norms and values; therefore, they are normative and hegemonic. Previous research has largely failed to consider how APs’ spatial conceptions materialize in the workplace. To address this omission, we adopted a narrative approach to study APs’ impact during the conceptualization stage. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected via a 10-year at-home ethnographic study at a Dutch university, including observations, interviews, documents and reports. Studying the researchers’ organization allowed for a longitudinal research approach and participative observations. The data focused on the narrative techniques of APs when establishing an ABW. Findings: In introducing ABWs, APs resorted to two principal narrative strategies. Firstly, the ABW concept was lauded as a solution to a host of existing problems. Yet, in the face of shortcomings, lecturers were often blamed. Originality/value: Despite the considerable influence of APs on both the physical layout of workspaces and the nature of academic labor, there is little insight into their conceptions of the academic workspace. Our research contributes a novel perspective by revealing how APs’ workspace conceptions drive the narratives that underpin the roll-out of ABWs and how they construct narratives of success and failure.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)196-215
Number of pages20
JournalJournal of Organizational Ethnography
Volume13
Issue number2
Early online date14 May 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Jul 2024

Keywords

  • Higher Education
  • Activity-based workspace
  • At-home ethnography
  • Academia
  • Workplace
  • Lefebvre
  • Professional narratives
  • implementation

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