The new world of work: space, technology, and knowledge.

Paper in proceeding, 2011

The new world of work is an upcoming term for new workspace and technological designs in which employees can work independent of time and place. They are supposed to allow workers to improve their work-life balance, to stimulate the sharing of knowledge and, by doing so, to create a more productive workforce. In this context, this current paper combines perspectives from facility management, technology management, and knowledge management, in investigating the complex relation between space, technology, human interaction, and productivity for knowledge workers. We held explorative interviews with Dutch managers who played key roles in implementing new way of working and added these with perceptions from Finnish managers of a firm who has implemented similar ways of working in a more in-depth study. Based on these findings we discuss what the new world of work contains, what kinds of outputs it can have as well as implications of the new world of work for employees and the firm.