Beneath the Surface: A Story of Leadership, Recruitment, and the Hidden Dimensions of Strategic Workplace Design

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore issues related to workplace design and corporate leadership in the 21st century, specifically the strategic leadership initiatives needed to recruit, retain, and motivate talented employees. The research design uses a qualitative research method called narrative or life stories in combination with a traditional case study approach. Cases selected had to be strategic, inspiring/aspiring, authentic, and multivocal. Both design process and design product were examined as well as the impact of design on the individual and the organization. Interview data were collected on site, audio taped, and transcribed verbatim to ensure accuracy. Focused narratives were then generated from the case study interview data. The transcripts were reviewed to identify major issues, recurring themes, and categories of analysis. The raw interview data were then sifted through Labov's six–part framework for organizing and interpreting narratives. The process of evolving the raw interview transcripts into a meaningful story followed Lieblich, Tuval–Mashiach, and Zilber's (1998) holistic–content approach. A story entitled “Beneath the Surface” forms the basis of the results and discussion section, and presents a true account of how workplace design impacted the interview process through the eyes of a young executive recruit. The story revealed that the design of space factored heavily into the new recruit's decision–making process and ultimate acceptance of the position, and that the impacts of the workplace design extended beyond the initial recruitment to have longer–term implications for corporate competitiveness. The narrative also revealed that the chief administrative officer (CAO) and new director of organizational development viewed design as a strategic tool, and that the managing partner used design elements strategically to communicate her divisions’ values and social mission. The story reveals strategic implications of both design process and product for six strategic leadership initiatives thought to impact overall quality of work life, and to enhance recruitment and retention: differentiating quality of life as a competitive edge, aligning individual values with corporate values, building a sense of community, nurturing professional growth and knowledge transfer, communicating social mission, and leaving a legacy of social change. Design was shown to play a supportive role for each of the above leadership initiatives.