Office concepts: A scoping review

Abstract

Office concepts influence employees’ work experience and performance, as well as the profitability of organisations. This study used a scoping review approach to map the field of empirical research on office concepts, identify research gaps, provide recommendations for future research, and inform practice. Systematic searches across three databases identified a total of 257 empirical studies on office concepts. Study selection and data charting were performed independently by two reviewers using standardized forms, with disagreements resolved through discussion. General and methodological characteristics of the included studies were mapped. For studies comparing different office concepts, the degree of focus on spatial design and change processes were also mapped. The findings establish that this is a strongly interdisciplinary field, with increasing publication numbers in recent years. The included studies are heterogeneous, using a variety of study designs and outcome variables, and focus on various aspects of the office environment. Studies comparing different office concepts tend to not focus on spatial design or change processes. This lack might cause these areas to come across as less important than they are, and has implications for practical decision-making regarding workplace design. We recommend that future research efforts focus on conducting randomized controlled trials in real-world office settings. Further research gaps can be identified using the tables and figures included.