Variety, Flexibility and Integrity of Workplace: Shinagawa Office of Microsoft Japan as a Case Study

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Other Title
  • ワークプレイスの多様性・柔軟性・統合性：日本マイクロソフト社の品川オフィスの事例
  • ワークプレイス ノ タヨウセイ ・ ジュウナンセイ ・ トウゴウセイ : ニホン マイクロソフトシャ ノ シナガワ オフィス ノ ジレイ

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Abstract

To improve office space efficiency, many Japanese firms have adopted non-territorial offices, where employees do not own their desks but share them with others. In such offices, the decrease of space may not vitalize communication among employees. Such office designs may severely limit an access to information, and such limited access can in turn influence the way employees make decisions. In addition, many existing studies on environmental psychology have pointed out issues of privacy and personalization related to this style of offices. Nonterritorial offices may hinder the employees from regulating the amount of interaction with others and may threaten employeesʼ personal identity. This study illustrates that Shinagawa office of Microsoft Japan attempts to facilitate communication among employees by implementing 1) various collaboration spaces, 2) a flexible operation of workplace policies, and 3) an integration of IT tools. This case indicates that these three characteristics of this office can deal with the problems noted above.

Journal

  • Organizational Science

    Organizational Science 47 (1), 4-14, 2013

    The Academic Association for Organizational Science

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