Tensions as a framework for managing work in collaborative workplaces: A review of the empirical studies

Abstract

Companies are increasingly implementing collaborative workplaces (CWs) to promote office collaboration and flexibility. Despite the rapid diffusion of CWs across industries and organizations, research findings suggest that their benefits often fail to materialize due to the existence of tensions and contradictions that develop through the daily actions and interactions of workplace users. This literature review sheds some light on the development of tensions and contradictions in CWs by focusing on their implications for social relations at work. This review identifies the oppositional tensions that surface in CW research findings: flexibility vs structure, fluidity vs stability and exposure vs privacy. In disclosing the underlying mechanisms, this study connects these tensions and their management to the autonomy–control paradox that emerges in CWs. It concludes by suggesting some approaches that are available to managers to assist them in dealing with tensions and unleashing creativity, participation and adaptability.