Cartes conceptuelles des facteurs critiques à la transition vers des espaces ouverts et flexibles sur la performance et le bien-être

Many organizations are considering reconfiguring their workspaces to optimize them. While studies (Brunia et al., 2016; Dunford et al., 2013; Hoendenvanger et al., 2016) on open and flexible spaces tend to show mixed results, it is important to consider experimenting and transitioning to these new spaces so that they best meet the needs of the change recipients and the organization. A pilot project was built for recipients to experiment with new spaces. A support team followed 15 cohorts of about 15 people for two to three months each, over three years. Exploratory action research in a university setting made it possible to collect qualitative data from weekly follow-up meetings, a survey, and videotaped statements. Concept maps created (Davies, 2011) from 260 verbatim excerpts illustrate the hierarchical relationships between critical factors and their psychosocial effects. The results show three critical factors. The diversity and flexibility of the layouts facilitated adaptation and created a sense of increased performance by meeting the needs for focus, privacy, and teamwork. Physical proximity contributed to increased social interaction and accessibility to colleagues and managers, leading to collaboration and a sense of well-being. Change management fostered the perception of organizational support and spatial appropriation. Change management practitioners and leaders might consider a transition period of a few months for learning and monitoring of recipient groups before final decisions are made. The results obtained need to be contextualized and could vary by type of position. The effects of these spaces in the long term and consideration of tasks performed during the days spent in the office would be interesting leads for future studies.