Coincidentally, I’ve been looking through the literature of an urban design practice I’ve applied for a job with. It mentions similar studies (but UK based and older). There’s no direct reference, but it’s referred to as the Management Today Workspace Satisfaction Survey” from 2003. It says nearly half of respondents said they would relinquish one week’s annual leave for a better office (bear in mind we get much more holiday than you do in the US!) or forgo £1000 (that’s around £2000?) in salary for a significantly upgraded workplace. 85% said the workplace is a key indicator of a company’s culture, but only 47% were prepared to bring clients to their place of work.

The same literature cracks on about how creative a company they are, and how they want creative people. Yet short of a few statements on inspiring offices, measures to improve work-life balance and stimulate diversity, it’s slight on detail. I’ll grill them at my interview, if I’m offered one…

If anyone knows of other studies, please send them to me (docwaters@shaw.ca).

From reviews of newer mobile, flexible workplaces, such as Capital One, I’ve read similar observations from the workers. They liked working in the shared spaces because there was a buzz, and, unstated but likely, that slight extra accountability from people watching that helps keep the focus.

This doesn’t surprise me. Keep in mind that most people in the workforce are not like us — they don’t write English prose for a living.

When I’ve toured different workplaces, I’ve seen quite different atmospheres. At places where people produce business software or video games, for example, they are hives of collaborative activity. It would be very hard for most people to work from home, even if they could log into a central computer. People are communicating at multiple levels simultaneously — voice, instant messaging, a head nod, etc. An architectural firm I know seems to have people drafting but also asking questions and enjoying the buzz.

Actually, a call centre I toured (higher end one) wasn’t that different - some people were on the phone, others answering e-mails, but there was constant communication between people as they learned more to help clients.

I working on a big table - a place I can spread out all my papers and notes.

I think the workplace is also undergoing a tremendous shift. For one, I seldom use my office. Our space at the Institute is mainly open plan (no cubicles, please) with lounge space/ library, and a coffee-bar/ kitchen, and reconfigurable project rooms. Our folks love it.

But I find I use it mainly for meetings and team building. When I want to write I need isolation, and can get more of that at home or in a coffee shop, or better yet on the plane.

I wonder when workspaces will be more disaggregated, in residential buildings and on street corners.

We have to be able to do better than the coffee shop, a great hotel lobby or airport lounge is better… But we can do even better than that.

As you suggest, one reason that so few people find it efficient to work at home is having kids. Even when mine are not there — or sleeping — it can be tough to ignore the laundry piling up, the toys scattered everywhere, etc. and just work.

Another reason may be that people who live in smaller homes (condos, townhomes, etc.), which is a growing trend, and who don’t have a dedicated workspace, find it hard to focus on work, the TV too tempting, etc. Some people just like to separate work and home — being able to leave work on your desk and “un plug” is popular.

For me, some work is best done away from the office, or in the evening when my brain works differently — “big thinking” and “big writing,” for example. But, I gather a lot of the ideas needed for that work while at the office — the collaboration and “more brains” being better than one brain at generating ideas phenomena.

And, some of my management / team lead responsibilities also cannot be done from home. Face time is essential. So is having many of the people who can help me right there.

Of course, I don’t have kids or a pet. Maybe those factors have something to do with people feeling as though they can’t function as effectively outside of the office.