Letteratura scientifica selezionata sul tema "Activity-Based workspaces"

AbstractThis paper examines some aspects of physical-digital workspaces, focusing on multi-user, multi-touch technologies and how different workspaces impact collaboration. We introduce the concept of globally collaborative work. We chose to use case studies completed by groups of students in an engineering course to test different workspace modalities: the use of a large multi-touch table top in conjunction with a multi-touch board (vertical), the use of tablets with the multi-touch board, and finally the multi-touch board alone. The evaluation criteria are based on modes of interaction which emerge during globally collaborative work sessions: individual work, communication, coordination, cooperation and collaboration. We hypothesized that the workspaces would influence collaborative activity, expecting to see higher rates of collaboration in the table top environment than in the other two modalities studied. However, results showed less co-building and more cooperative work, as students divided their work and later attempted to negotiate a coherent product built on individual contributions. Lastly, we share a few design recommendations based on these results.

Combinations of concentrated work and interactions are facilitated by office environments such as activity-based flexible offices (A-FOs). A-FOs are characterized by activity-based workspaces, an open-plan layout, and desk sharing. Although there is a growing enthusiasm for replacing cellular offices with A-FOs, the effects of such changes on office workers are still unclear. Within this three-wave longitudinal study, we investigated the changes (time lag of 1 and 8 months after the redesign) in perceived need–supply fit, distraction, interaction across teams, and workspace satisfaction during relocation from a cellular office to an A-FO. Moreover, as previous case studies indicated individual differences in the use of A-FOs, we considered participants’ perceived need–supply fit as a moderator indicating an appropriate use of A-FO supplies. We found a linear increase of perceived need–supply fit, a decrease in distraction, and a significant interaction effect where workspace satisfaction and interaction across teams increased more strongly for participants reporting a better perceived need–supply fit.

Employee satisfaction is pivotal for companies as it enhances perceived productivity and organizational performance. Office concepts and their workspaces can affect employee satisfaction. However, these effects are still ambiguous, particularly regarding the activity-based concept. Therefore, in this study employee satisfaction with the work environment is investigated from a holistic approach. The effects of both personal characteristics and workspaces used by the employee on work environment satisfaction are described and measured, including mediating effects of the perceived importance of employee needs. Data was collected using an online questionnaire among 327 employees of 13 knowledge-based organizations. Path analysis was used to determine the direct and indirect effects of personal variables, environmental variables and perceived importance of needs on satisfaction. It demonstrated that both personal and environmental variables affect satisfaction, and that a considerable number of these effects are indirect through the perceived importance of needs. In particular, the effects of used workspaces were extensive.

Post-COVID-19 pandemic work activities faced a readjustment, but work activities are now more flexible regarding place and time. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider current work activities, which are now based on the workers’ activities. Office buildings are a main physical factor in comfort and worker productivity. With an activity-based concept based on the worker’s activities, office building configuration is based on the needs of each worker at a time and consists of several types of workspaces. The research uses the multiple case study method to reassess the role of office buildings in current work activities. The design method used is Bernard Tschumi’s programming theory. The activity-based concept is structured based on elements of the physical work environment implemented in several types of work areas according to needs, with the most significant space configuration being the facility area.

AbstractAn involuntary international experiment in which the entire student population was switched to digital remote learning due to the measures to stop COVID-19 put the paradigm of "anytime, anywhere learning" to the test. Online survey responses were obtained from 281 preservice primary and subject teachers. Using Structural Equation Modelling, connections were examined by inspection of path coefficients between constructs quality of personal digital technology, satisfaction, health, well-being, motivation, and physical activity. Problems with the quality of personal digital technology had a moderate influence on all constructs except motivation. Satisfaction influenced all constructs, well-being, and health the most. When comparing responses of the bottom and top third students based on the quality of personal digital technology, it was found that students who did not have the appropriate technology and workspace were less satisfied and suffered more. This is reflected in an increased incidence of problems related to health, well-being, and physical activity, along with a decrease in motivation. At least for the technologically deprived, the paradigm of "anytime, anywhere learning" is a myth. The study highlights the need for educational institutions to provide adequate technology and workspaces for all students in order to support their well-being and motivation during remote learning.

Corporate coworking environments have gained traction in the latest debate. The aim of this study is to obtain a deeper understanding of the factors that determine work satisfaction in a corporate coworking environment and to illuminate determinants for collaborative and interactive work. Survey data were collected through five corporates using an internal corporate coworking space in Germany (n = 200). The study reveals new insights into the flexible working environment of corporate coworking spaces and identifies factors influencing work satisfaction, which is commonly linked with organizational outcomes. Determinants of work satisfaction are physical environmental factors, communication, concentration, collaboration and social interaction which indicates that informal meeting spaces for collaboration and communication as well as concentration spaces are highly valued. Corporate coworking spaces, therefore, unfold their potential through activity-based working (ABW) configurations and the various types of spaces associated with it. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that applies workplace factors on corporate coworking environments. Corporate coworking spaces offer an important complement to home offices and traditional office workplaces, especially in a post-COVID-19-pandemic era, as they allow for real physical encounters and collaboration.

PT. A is a manufacturing industry specializing in plastic-based cosmetic packaging. The work area of blow molding and injection molding 1 & 2 is the center of the company's main activity, involving many employees with diverse roles. The high density of work activity and heat-generating machines pose significant challenges to the workspace temperature, impacting worker health and well-being. Indoor air pollution levels, 2 to 10 times higher than outside, raise serious concerns, given people's prolonged indoor exposure. Poor air quality can lead to discomfort, health issues, and work accidents, affecting company operations and customer confidence. Three production units of PT. A were analyzed, focusing on air quality and ventilation systems. Primary data collection involved observations and interviews with four company informants regarding the ventilation system. Secondary data included direct measurements of air pollutants, dust particles, and environmental conditions by designated third parties. PT. A has implemented multiple mechanical ventilation systems to enhance airflow within the production area. Although the air quality in the blow molding and injection molding 1&2 workspaces meets the standards of the Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia No. 5 of 2018, the working climate in these three production areas exceeds the specified thresholds. Engineering interventions are recommended to address this issue and improve worker safety, health, comfort, and productivity without long-term consequences.

Backgroud: This master thesis is about discovering the concept of ‘Activity- Based Working (ABW)’ and its application to the specific case of IKEA. ABW is a phenomenon in office design and management. From a physical perspective, it discards private offices, desks and desktop computers assigned for individual’s permanent use (Parker, 2016). Instead, the office space is rearranged with various areas tailored for different work tasks, such as hubs for teamwork, meeting areas, cubicles, phone booths, workshop areas and more (Parker, 2016; Ditchburn, 2014). The application of ABW involves in the behavioral environment in addition to the physical one. The behavioral environment is aimed to encourage collaboration, creativity, team work and flexible working (Koetsveld & Kamperman, 2011). The concept of ABW is yet under-researched. The existing literature presents the driving factors of open-plan and partially activity-based workspaces from an organizational perspective. The driving factors and expected outcomes of ABW are steered by the work-related needs by the practitioners and scholars. The needs identified by scholars, which are leading companies to take an action towards ABW are mainly organizational needs. The empirical studies reveal positive and negative outcomes of activity- based way of working, affecting physical and behavioral environments of employees, without building a relationship between the work-related needs and the outcome. In addition, these studies are very limited and they do not cover the reflections of driving factors on employees. Addressing this gap, I want to add to the literature on office space by presenting an empirical case of IKEA, which combines the rationales and experiences of employees shortly after their workspace has been transformed to ABW. My purpose is not to point out the positive or negative experience, but to reveal employees’ interpretation of the new workspace and how they experience it. Research question: How do employees interpret the rationales around the transformation of their office space into ABW and how do they experience the ABW environment? Purpose: To investigate the lived experience of IKEA employees in a physically and behaviorally changing workspace and to problematize the relationship of the rationales and experiences of employees. Method: This research is an explorative case study. The data presented in findings is collected through semi-structured interviews. Thirteen interviews conducted in three different locations of IKEA. Conclusion: The study concluded as the lived experience of employees is not mainly parallel to the rationales of organization towards changing to an activity-based environment. The findings revealed a tension between the driving factors and the lived experience. Driving factors reflect what is planned by the organization; whereas the lived experience do not directly show the impact of driving factors on the outcome. The lived experience brings the attention to the social needs of employees to be considered in workspace.

Cette thèse Cifre s’ancre dans le cadre d’une recherche-intervention menée au sein d’une entreprise de conseil en immobilier. Elle s’intéresse aux nouveaux espaces de travail dits « flexibles » (flex-office, environnement de travail dynamique etc.), que nous désignons par le terme activity-based workspaces (ABW) ou espaces de travail « basé sur l’activité ». Ces configurations couvrent une même organisation spatiale générique : des postes de travail mutualisés et non attribués, disposés au sein de plateaux ouverts et qui mettent à la disposition des travailleurs et des travailleuses un lot de ressources spatiales mobilisables par les individus et les collectifs pour soutenir leur activité. Ces espaces se basent donc sur la promesse d’une adéquation entre espace et activité, tout en véhiculant une vision prescriptrice du travail et de la manière dont il doit être fait. Dans une perspective historico-culturelle de l’activité, nous mobilisons les approches des théories de l’activité (Clot, 1999 ; Engeström, 2001) et de la cognition située (Lave, 1988) pour appréhender l’appropriation comme un mouvement de (re)construction de l’activité du sujet, ancré dans la situation au sein de laquelle il agit, qui est historiquement constituée par son action. Dans ce cadre, comment le processus d’appropriation de ces nouveaux espaces de travail par leurs utilisateurs se trouve-t-il impacté ? En quoi la mise en tension du rapport entre espace et activité, inhérente aux principes de fonctionnement de ces nouvelles formes de bureaux (Ianeva, et al., 2021) met-elle en forme voire à l’épreuve ce processus d’appropriation ? Comment dès lors concevoir des espaces qui soient des ressources pertinentes pour les sujets et leur activité ?Dans une démarche compréhensive et qualitative, cette thèse s’intéresse dans un premier temps au processus de conception des ABW, et explore la manière dont les concepteurs appréhendent et intègrent le rapport espace/activité dans la construction de la proposition spatiale et de ses principes de fonctionnement (première étude empirique). Ensuite, elle s’intéresse aux utilisateurs des ABW, et à la manière dont (i) ils mobilisent ces solutions spatiales dans le cours de leur activité et dont (ii) ces solutions spatiales redéfinissent les contours de leurs actions par le prisme du modèle de l’acceptation située (Bobillier Chaumon, 2016) (deuxième étude empirique). Enfin, nous présentons le processus de construction d’un outil de conception basé sur la méthode de la simulation (Van Belleghem, 2021). Son objectif est d’interroger les transformations des pratiques et des représentations des concepteurs et utilisateurs en lien avec les ABW, qui permette d’ancrer le discours qui accompagne ces ABW dans le rapport espace/activité (troisième étude empirique).Nos résultats rendent compte de (i) la manière dont les acteurs de la conception de ces nouveaux espaces de travail intègrent le rapport entre espace et activité comme un objet de travail pour penser les futurs espaces ; et (ii) la manière dont ce rapport entre espace et activité est saisi et remodelé par les utilisateurs finaux en situation de travail. L’appropriation de ces espaces se développe donc dans un mouvement dialectique où les actions de transformation de l’espace redéfinissent les contours de la cognition et de l’action. Penser l’appropriation comme un processus de (ré)articulation du rapport entre espace et activité ancré au cœur des situations de travail des sujets peut donc se révéler être un objet opérant pour outiller les psychologues du travail-intervenants dans l’accompagnement des transformations des cadres physiques et temporels du travail des professionnels
This Cifre thesis is part of a research-intervention conducted within a real estate consulting firm. It focuses on new "flexible" workspaces (flex-office, dynamic work environment, etc.), which we refer to as activity-based workspaces (ABW). These configurations cover a single generic spatial organization: shared, unallocated workstations, arranged within open platforms and providing workers with a range of spatial resources that can be mobilized by individuals and collectives to support their activity. These workspaces are thus based on the promise of a fitting relationship between space and activity, while at the same time conveying a prescriptive vision of work and how it should be done.Based on a cultural-historical perspective on activity, we mobilize the approaches of activity theory (Clot, 1999; Engeström, 2001) and situated cognition (Lave, 1988) to approach appropriation as a movement of (re)construction of the subject's activity, anchored in the situation in which he or she acts, which is historically constituted by his or her action. From this perspective, how is the process of appropriation of these new workspaces by their users impacted? How does the tension between space and activity, inherent in the operating principles of these new forms of office (Ianeva, et al., 2021), shape or even challenge this process of appropriation? How, then, can we design spaces that can constitute relevant resources for subjects and their activity?Using a comprehensive, qualitative approach, this thesis first looks at the ABW design process, and explores how designers apprehend and integrate the space/activity relationship in the construction of the spatial proposition and its operating mechanisms (first empirical study). It then focuses on ABW users, and how (i) they mobilize these spatial solutions in the course of their activity, and how (ii) these spatial solutions redefine the contours of their actions through the prism of the situated acceptance model (Bobillier Chaumon, 2016) (second empirical study). Finally, we present the construction process of a design tool based on the simulation method (Van Belleghem, 2021). Its aim is to investigate transformations in the practices and representations of designers and users in relation to ABWs, enabling the discourse that accompanies these ABWs to be anchored in the space/activity relationship (third empirical study).Our results highlight (i) the way in which the designers of these new workspaces integrate the relationship between space and activity as an object of work when thinking about future spaces; and (ii) the way in which this relationship between space and activity is grasped and reshaped by end-users in work situations. The appropriation process of these workspaces is thus to understand within a dialectical movement, in which actions to transform space redefine the contours of cognition and action.Understanding appropriation as a process of (re)articulating the relationship between space and activity, which is anchored at the heart of subjects' work situations, may therefore prove to be an effective and operative tool for work and interveners psychologists involved in supporting transformations of the physical and temporal work settings

Awareness systems are being designed and implemented to improve employee connections. This study examines the variables that affect the acceptance of an awareness system. The awareness system that was used for this research was a remote desktop access system. The independent variables investigated were the degree of detail that can be viewed on a desktop, whether the users can control who can access their desktops, whether the users can control when others have access to their desktops, the equality of access to others' desktops, and task-technology fit. In determining the effect of the independent variables on acceptance, the dependent variable, the mediating variables of privacy and fairness were taken into account. There was a preliminary survey conducted to determine appropriate situations to be used in the scenario descriptions for the survey for the main study. The methodology of policy-capturing surveys was utilized to conduct the survey for the main study in order to investigate the model developed in this study. The policy-capturing survey was pre-tested on University of Waterloo students. The main study was conducted in two different organizations, the subjects for the first study were employees from the Information Systems and Technology Department at the University of Waterloo and the subjects for the second study were employees from Ciber Incorporated. Results indicate that perceptions of privacy and perceptions of fairness have significant effects on acceptance. Also, perceptions of privacy and fairness are related to details in the design of the remote desktop access system. This research may be a contribution to this field since little research has been conducted in this area and implications can be drawn for future research on acceptance of awareness systems.

In light of contradictory findings in previous research regarding the activity-based workspaces’ effect on organisational behaviour, this study applies The Activity-based Flexible Office Model on the company Kognity, which recently implemented this office concept. The purpose is to test if this may increase understanding of consequences on organisational behaviour from implementing an activity-based workspace. Semi-structured interviews and observations at Kognity are used as methods for the collection of data for the study. As secondary data, results from web-based surveys conducted by Kognity are used. Furthermore, previous research within the field of organisational behaviour and activity-based office concepts are used to give the study credibility and to gain a deeper insight of the topic. The theoretical framework for this study is based on The Activity Based Flexible Office Model and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory. The conclusion is that the activity-based workspace does affect organisational behaviour. Applying the Activity Based Flexible Office Model increases the understanding of what the implementation of an activity-based workspace may lead to in terms of organisational behaviour. The model is a useful tool which shows that task-related moderators can determine in what extent the workspace effects organisational behaviour, depends on individual values and task requirements. Further, application of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs shows that the higher needs in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs may be met through the freedom of choice within an activity-based workspace.
Tidigare forskning, som berör vilka konsekvenser implementeringen av ett aktivitetsbaserat kontor har på de anställda samt hur det påverkar organisatoriskt beteende, har visat sig vara motsägelsefull. För att bidra till ökad kunskap, applicerar den här studien modellen The Activity-based Flexible Office Model på ett företag vid namn Kognity. Kognity har nyligen implementerat ett aktivitetsbaserat kontor. Semi-strukturerade intervjuer och observationer utfördes på Kognity. Studien använde sig även av sekundärdata i form av resultat från enkäter som Kognity utför själva. Den teoretiska referensramen som applicerades på den här studien var The Activity-based Flexible Office Model samt Maslows behovsteori. Studiens slutsatser är att organisatoriskt beteende påverkas av implementerandet av ett aktivitetsbaserat kontor. Genom att applicera The Activity-based Flexible Office Model ges bidrag till ökad förståelse för konsekvenserna av implementerandet av ett aktivitetsbaserat kontor. Modellen är ett användbart verktyg för att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkar och vilka omständigheter som kan påverka ytterligare. Vidare visar applicerandet av Maslows behovsteori att ett aktivitetsbaserat kontor skulle kunna möta de högre behoven i teorin tack vare anställdas frihet att välja sin arbetsplats.

AbstractNew workspaces, such as coworking spaces (CSs), have had exponential growth in Portugal in recent years, both in number and variety. Lockdowns and other restrictive measures on mobility, employment and business activity during the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted all sectors, albeit differently. This chapter summarises the central events related to the pandemic crisis in Portugal, reflecting on the impacts observed and highlighting the main legislative measures adopted by the government and the subsequent increasing expressiveness of telework. Therefore, in addition to the gradual transformation of work, CSs have gained a growing space in the media and on the political agenda. Based on ongoing research, this article aims to provide a brief overview of the pandemic effects on Portuguese coworking reality and related issues, pointing out insights for the future.

All undergraduate and postgraduate students of theHellenic Open University (HOU) attend courses at a distance. The lack of a live academic community is reported by many as a drawback in their studies. Systematic exploitation of new communication and collaboration technologies is desirable in HOU but cannot be imposed universally as the average student’s IT competence level is relatively low. In this work, we present a key aspect of thedevelopment of an integrated communication environment in which collaboration spaces serving as open communities play a key role in user engagement in the whole communication environment. To track and evaluate user participation, we propose to use indices drawn from inexpensively collected usage data. Such indices, when combined with our detailed knowledge of the internal workings of user groups, provide concrete evaluation of thecommunity online activity.

The time-based resource-sharing model considers working memory as the workspace in which mental representations are built, maintained, and transformed for completing goal-oriented tasks. Its main component is made of an episodic buffer and a procedural system that form an executive loop in which processing and storage share domain-general attentional resources on a temporal basis. Because working memory representations decay with time when attention is diverted, the cognitive load of a given activity is the proportion of time during which it occupies attention and prevents it from counteracting this decay through attentional refreshing. Consequently, recall in working memory tasks is an inverse function of the cognitive load of concurrent processing. Besides this system, an independent domain-specific maintenance system exists for verbal, but not visuospatial, information. Within this framework, working memory development mainly results from increasing processing speed that affects both the duration of the distraction of attention by concurrent tasks and refreshing efficiency.

Maritime transportation is currently in a transitional period to an impending autonomous future. To that end, novel technologies are increasingly being introduced on-board ships and their engine rooms. At the same time, advancements in digitalization and automation are progressively replacing and reducing the number of marine engineers on-board. Consequently, with increasing automation in machinery spaces and unmanned engine rooms, the role of the marine engineers has been altered to that of monitoring and oversight. The substantial changes in the nature of tools and job description of the marine engineers necessitate the re-assessment and revision of their training and pedagogy. Currently, the simulator is a powerful tool in the training and development of marine operators. Although the literature review reveals some interest in marine engineering simulation training, however, there is a lack of attention to remote and cloud-based simulation training as part of blended learning. This study reveals that imparting marine engineering simulation training online is not free from challenges. This study reports the findings from a qualitative study of marine engineering simulation training, conducted as part of a larger ethnographic study on developing maritime competence. The study utilizes the socio-historical, context-dependent framework of the Activity System (AS) to analyze marine engineering simulation training. The study reveals issues with cloud-based marine engineering simulation training. Firstly, cloud-based training is not seamless to access. Secondly, not all features present in the desktop simulation are present in the cloud version. Thirdly the cloud-based platform affords limited feedback in comparison to the desktop version. Fourthly, cloud-based simulation training does not support peer learning. An understanding of the challenges of cloud-based marine engineering simulation training will help address these concerns. Furthermore, it will facilitate the competence development of marine engineers as they work in increasingly automated workspaces in the transition to autonomous ship operations.

Neck pain is common among occupations like dentistry and office work because workers in these professions tend to hold their necks in static flexion for extended periods of time. But there are few products available to help alleviate workers’ neck pain while still allowing them to carry out their daily tasks in varying environments. For example, office workers can use products like ergonomic chairs and desks to help promote proper posture, but these arrangements restrict workers to workspaces equipped with their necessary equipment and proper setup. Meanwhile, in the medical field, products like loupes, lights, and ergonomic workbenches are available to enhance visibility and reduce workers’ neck flexion angles. But these products have yet to fully eliminate the problem of neck pain especially in occupations like dentistry where static neck flexion is common. Therefore, the goal of this project is to develop a new neck support technology which alleviates neck pain caused by static neck flexion while still allowing workers full mobility and functionality in their workplace. Our design decreases muscle loading on the neck during neck flexion by reducing the moment on the neck using a device which acts as a “headrest” to support the head. In turn, the device redistributes forces to the upper body while still allowing full range of motion to the user. More specifically, our design applies an opposing force to the user’s forehead during neck flexion via a force generator attached to a headband which is attached to the head. The force generator is anchored to the upper body to permit use in varying environments without the need for special equipment or setups. We confirmed our design decreases muscle loading by building a prototype then performing surface electromyography (EMG) testing which showed not just a statistically significant reduction in neck muscle activity using one-way analysis of variance, but more distinctly a unanimous decrease in neck muscle activity during neck flexion for all seven test subjects with an overall average decrease of 60% among all subjects and 80% for certain subjects. Once we confirmed our design’s effectiveness in reducing neck muscle activity during static neck flexion which implied the ability to reduce neck strain, we improved our prototype’s functionality and aesthetics based on test subject feedback, our own observations, and dentists’ comments. Then, we performed workplace testing on two dentists with one dentist’s work focused mainly on hygiene while the other dentist’s work focused mostly on dental procedures. Overall, both dentists offered helpful feedback from different dental field perspectives for future prototype improvements with regards to comfort and functionality. They also provided promising comments regarding their visions for future device use which included training dental students on proper posture and applications in other occupations like office work and surgery.

Abstract Activity recognition is a crucial aspect in smart manufacturing and human-robot collaboration, as robots play a vital role in improving efficiency and safety by accurately recognizing human intentions and proactively assisting with tasks. Current human intention recognition applications only consider the accuracy of recognition but ignore the importance of predicting it in advance. Given human reaching movements, we want to equip the robot with the ability to predict human intent not only with precise recognition but also at an early stage. In this paper, we propose a framework to apply Transformer-based and LSTM-based models to learn motion intentions. Second, based on the observation of distances of human joints along the motion trajectory, we explore how we can use the hidden Markov model to find intent state transitions, i.e., intent uncertainty and intent certainty. Finally, two data types are generated, one for the full data and the other for the length of data before state transitions; both data are evaluated on models to assess the robustness of intention prediction. We conducted experiments in a manufacturing workspace where the experimenter reaches multiple scattered targets and further this experimental scenario was designed to examine how intents differ, but motions are only slightly different. The proposed models were then evaluated with experimental data, and further performance comparisons were made between models and between different intents. Finally, early predictions were validated to be better than using full-length data.