Flexible working needs flexible space?. Towards an alternative workplace strategy
| Date | 01 February 2003 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14635780310468275 |
| Pages | 12-22 |
| Published date | 01 February 2003 |
| Author | Virginia Gibson |
| Subject Matter | Property management & built environment |
JPIF
21,1
12
Journal of Property Investment &
Finance
Vol. 21 No. 1, 2003
pp. 12-22
#MCB UP Limited
1463-578X
DOI 10.1108/14635780310468275
ACADEMIC PAPERS
Flexible working needs
flexible space?
Towards an alternative workplace
strategy
Virginia Gibson
LandSecuritiesTrillium Fellow, Department of Real Estate and Planning,
The School of Business, The University of Reading, Reading, UK
Keywords Flexible working, Facilities management, Space planning
Abstract There is considerable debate in both the management and property literature on how
human and physical resources can become more flexible in order to be able to respond to the
dynamic business environment. Often there is an implication that if staff are working in more
flexible ways then the property must also be more flexible. However there are numerous sources of
flexibility for both these resources. In terms of staff, flexibility can be defined in terms of
contractual, time and location elements. For property, flexibility comes from the financial
contracts, physical layout and functional opportunities. There is not necessarily a direct link
between the flexibility requirements in these two resources. However, it is clear that the demand
drivers for office space are changing. The increase in use of information and communications
technology (ICT) has had a direct impact on the underlying business processes and thus the
breadth and balance of activities which office space needs to support. ICT has also been key in
facilitating the staff flexibility. Together these have led to the development of a new strategy for
managing workplaces which differentiates between where the space is located, the way in which
the space is designed and how it is used. The challenge for corporate real estate managers is to get
beyond the rhetoric of flexibility and understand how space can best support ever-changing
business processes.
Introduction
Flexibility is a key concern for managers in today's fast changing environment.
This is a theme that reoccurs in both the general management and the real
estate literature. In both instances the impetus is to find ways in which the
organisation and its real estate can respond quickly to changes in the
marketplace, which are occurring at an ever-increasing pace.
In the general management literature, flexibility is discussed at both the
organisational and employee level. Organisations have sought ways to adapt
and become more agile. This has been achieved by a flattening of hierarchies
and a focus on core competencies. Similarly, individuals are increasingly
expected to be flexible in their approach to their jobs and to develop a range of
skills to allow them to move between a variety of activities. Employers are
expected to be flexible in the way they employ and manage staff, driven by
work-life balance issues. How do these changes impact the workplaces that are
required by organisations?
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