Research Design Connections: Co-Working and Connecting
In his dissertation project, Zhou probed social connections formed in co-working spaces. He reports that “Mixed methods were applied to study coworking spaces in New York City. The results suggest that social connectivity between the members was low even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Three major reasons were identified: lack of opportunity, lack of motivation, and a behavioral norm of minimizing interaction in the open-plan environment. . . . I propose that flexibility is about . . . how much visibility and mobility the space offers, and how much time the occupants are physically present in the space. . . . Increased flexibility in space and time negatively affected an individual’s attitude toward social interaction. . . .These results suggest that the nature of coworking may embody a conflicting relationship between the two concepts: ‘flexibility’ and ‘community.’” Yaoyi Zhou. 2021. “Flexibility Vs. Community: Two Studies About Coworking Space and the Member’s …
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