Smart work centers as “creative workspaces” for remote employees

Abstract

This paper focuses on the potential offered to remote workers by an innovative workplace, i.e. Smart Work Center (SWC), that acquired momentum with the diffusion of smart working, a holistic approach in managing employees’ flexibility. In conceptualizing SWCs as creative workspaces, we draw on literature on workplace creativity to identify a number of factors related to work environment influencing individual creativity. Then, in light of specific SWC’s features, we developed a set of research propositions explaining how SWCs can support creativity among employees working in these spaces, both directly (through material elements) and indirectly (through culture and social relations).