Activity-based working appeals to some more than others…

Activity-based working (ABW) is the term applied to the system which recognises the fact that people do different tasks during the day at work, and so need a mix of work settings with the right technology and culture to carry out these tasks effectively.

Hoendervanger shares that “a clear profile arises of workers who best fit with ABW [activity-based work] environments, i.e.: high task variety, job autonomy, external and internal mobility, social interaction . . . low need for privacy; few high-complexity tasks, many non-individual tasks; appropriately using open and closed work settings; frequently switching between work settings; relatively young age.

Furthermore, lack of privacy for high-concentration work, due to the highly prevalent use of open work settings, appeared to be the single most important issue in current ABW practice.

The ABW concept is clearly not a one-size-fits-all solution and requires careful implementation to provide the right mix of work settings, and to stimulate workers to use them in accordance with their varying and changing needs.”

Jan Hoendervanger.  2021. “On Workers’ Fit with Activity-Based Work Environments.”  University of Groningen, Dissertation,  https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/on-workers-fit-with-activity-bas…