Abstract
The current chapter looks at a grossly overlooked aspect affecting employee dignity in the workplace – the physical environment. Office buildings represent the second largest financial overhead and they play a critical role in the organization of the processes and the power structure of any organization. Dignity is deconstructed into matters of identity, autonomy, dependency, seriousness, and trust which are linked to the studied effects of the office environment on employees - (i) the office structure and layout, (ii) the office décor and design, and (iii) ergonomic aspects. Their effects are expressed at multiple levels and encompass broad outcomes ranging from individual physical and psychological wellbeing to job satisfaction to team cohesion and organizational performance. Employees are almost never consulted on their preferences for elements of the office design and that there is no recognition for the need for different solutions for different types of employees and contexts. This state of affairs brings the question of employee dignity into the picture.
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Notes
- 1.
The literature on the physical environment in the workplace is widely fragmented with various terms in use including: space, place, surroundings, locale, built environment, workspace, building, organizational space, etc. (Taylor and Spicer 2007). We use some of these terms interchangeably throughout the chapter.
- 2.
Vischer (1995) offers an informative description of how workspace decisions are made.
- 3.
Here is quote from a Google employee: “… if you have to work in one of the four main campus buildings, you will most likely be extremely cramped. It’s not uncommon to see 3–4 employees in a single cube, or several managers sharing an office. With all the open areas for food, games, TV, tech talks, etc., it can be surprisingly hard to find a quiet, private place to think” (Edwards 2015).
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Nikolaeva, R., Russo, S.D. (2017). Office Design and Dignity at Work in the Knowledge Economy. In: Kostera, M., Pirson, M. (eds) Dignity and the Organization. Humanism in Business Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55562-5_10
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