Purpose

The aim of the current interview study was to investigate how the university staff and their immediate managers perceived the academic work environment after a transition to activity-based workplaces (ABW).

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with 11 university lecturers/researchers and 12 academic middle managers, that is, heads of departments or units in a Swedish university.

Findings

The qualitative content analysis revealed four central themes indicating how the academic environment had been affected: challenges related to decision-making and implementation of ABW, interpersonal relations and communication, consequences for academic identity and issues related to the physical work environment.

Research limitations/implications

The non-purposive sampling of participants coming from a single university is a limitation of the current study. More studies are needed to deepen the knowledge and to further corroborate the transferability of the findings.

Practical implications

The savings the universities expect to achieve in terms of reduced costs for premises, when introducing ABW, may lead to other kinds of costs, such as jeopardizing employee performance, comfort and well-being. It is therefore important that the academic staff is empowered and involved during the planning and implementation process of new offices.

Originality/value

The study contributes new knowledge concerning implementation of ABW and its consequences for the academic work environment.

中文翻译：

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基于活动的工作及其对学术工作环境的影响

目的

当前访谈研究的目的是调查在过渡到以活动为基础的工作场所 (ABW) 后，大学工作人员及其直接管理人员如何看待学术工作环境。

设计/方法/方法

采访了 11 名大学讲师/研究人员和 12 名学术中层管理人员，即瑞典大学的部门或单位负责人。

发现

定性内容分析揭示了四个中心主题，表明学术环境如何受到影响：与 ABW 的决策和实施相关的挑战、人际关系和沟通、对学术身份的影响以及与实际工作环境相关的问题。

研究限制/影响

来自一所大学的参与者的无目的抽样是当前研究的一个限制。需要更多的研究来加深知识并进一步证实研究结果的可转移性。

实际影响

在引入 ABW 时，大学希望在降低场地成本方面实现的节省可能会导致其他类型的成本，例如危及员工的绩效、舒适度和福祉。因此，重要的是在新办公室的规划和实施过程中赋予学术人员权力并参与其中。

原创性/价值

该研究提供了有关 ABW 实施及其对学术工作环境的影响的新知识。