University of Sussex
Browse

Coworking spaces and workplaces of the future: critical perspectives on community, context and change

Download (1.54 MB)
journal contribution
posted on 2024-05-20, 13:44 authored by Jennifer Johns, Edward Yates, Greig Charnock, Harry Pitts, Odul BozkurtOdul Bozkurt, Didem Derya Ozdemir KayaDidem Derya Ozdemir Kaya

The last decade has witnessed increased demand by employers and workers for greater flexibility, especially regarding remote and hybrid work. There has therefore been a substantial increase in academic interest in coworking, including within business and management studies. We conduct a systematic literature review of research on coworking and coworking spaces (CWS) to argue this field is now sufficiently developed to merit recognition as an important element of discussion surrounding workplaces of the future. We outline the core themes in coworking research and identify three key research weaknesses relating to common understandings of community, context and change. The article then advances a future research agenda based on two avenues of enquiry. First, greater attention needs to be paid to the value propositions of CWS as businesses. Second, the concept of embeddedness should be used to better understand CWS in their local and national contexts, and we argue for a broader, place-based analytical focus on CWS. We present two possible future scenarios for CWS, based on opposing forces of homogenisation and differentiation, and we outline their relevance for further debate surrounding workplaces of the future.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

European Management Review

ISSN

1740-4754

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

Department affiliated with

  • Management Publications
  • Business and Management Publications

Institution

University of Sussex

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes