Page 24 - WHERE WE WORK - Schlegelmilch

Introduction
1.2.3 Sedentary
Despite the technological advancements, not all workers can or want to work in hyper- or semispatial settings but are in a sedentary setting. I refer to a work setting as sedentary when there is very limited to no movement between workplaces. And if there is movement, then it is usually restricted to commuting from and to work. In terms of remoteness, workers either share a workplace with colleagues (not remote) or work from home (remote). With this conceptualization, I bring two phenomena, remote work and working from home, together in one category. I do so because both work settings are primarily characterized by remoteness to colleagues and clients. This is not to say that mobility is irrelevant in these work settings but rather that it is more optional. The continuity of the physical setting gives rise to a different challenge than the settings with more movement. Specifically, being exposed to the same place and its spatial characteristics makes it important to consider how the workers perceive the place’s characteristics and how these perceptions shape their behaviors. The challenge here is to interact effectively with others to share and implement ideas. For example, innovative behaviors plays a vital role in a company's success (Martins & Terblanche, 2003; Pisano, 2015) as well as in the maintenance and improvement of its functioning (Amabile et al., 2005; Janssen, 2000; Kanter, 1988; Van de Ven, 1986). This is particularly relevant as organizations adapt to the growing interrelatedness of our jobs (Khazanchi et al., 2018) and dynamics in the organization’s environment (Grant & Parker, 2009). Many new ways of working, such as offices characterized by high transparency, are supposed to foster innovative behaviors (Moll & de Leede, 2016; Moultrie et al., 2007).
Therefore, in chapter 4, I test the link between workplace transparency and innovative behavior in the context of typical office knowledge workers and how remote work moderates this relationship. Also, in chapter 2, I explore how workers engage with their physical environment to support or hinder interactions with the other people in the same place.
22