Modes of linking organisations with space: a historical account of the evolution of DEGW's concepts and methods

Patel, Hiral ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7783-5952 2020. Modes of linking organisations with space: a historical account of the evolution of DEGW's concepts and methods. Presented at: Transdisciplinary Workplace Research Conference (TWR 2020), Frankfurt, Germany, 17-18 September 2020.

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Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate methods used to create relationships between organisations and space in the knowledge economy. The empirical work unpacks the evolution of concepts and methods of a pioneering workplace design consultancy DEGW. projects in order to understand the spatial influences of changing organisational practices. Theory Adopting John Law’s view that method enacts reality, DEGW’s world view and concepts could be accessed by studying their methods of working. DEGW’s methods as enacted in their projects are their modes of linking space with their clients’ organisational practices. Design/methodology/approach Curation of the DEGW ‘living’ archive was used as an archival research method to make sense of the DEGW archive. The methods consisted of discussions with DEGW members, analysing the archival materials and curating an exhibition. Findings DEGW methods evolve from considering space in terms of solely physical and quantitative terms, towards a more complex interaction between space and organisational practices. This shift also resonates with the changes in the working practices and a movement towards distributed working in the knowledge economy. Originality/value There is a growing interest to understand the relationship between organisations and space. This interest has been articulated as the spatial turn in organisation studies. This paper presents new empirical work drawing from the DEGW archive for a better understanding of methods that are used to create relationships between space and changing organisational practices in the knowledge economy.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Architecture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology N Fine Arts > NA Architecture
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	14 October 2020
Date of Acceptance:	1 September 2020
Last Modified:	07 Nov 2022 11:21
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/135441

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