Abstract
Coworking is a trend that is becoming increasingly popular and is often associated with sustainability. However, a lack of consensus exists on what a sustainable coworking space is. This study addresses this by investigating what is currently understood by a sustainable coworking space. Q-methodology is used to analyze 27 participants’ subjective ideas about what a sustainable coworking space is, resulting in four distinct perspectives. The four perspectives are identified as follows: 1. “New Work”, 2. “Resourceful Society”, 3. “Incubator, and 4. “Environmental”. These perspectives have distinct opinions on what important sustainability aspects in the context of coworking spaces are. Whilst some prioritize environmental and community factors, others have a mixed focus. Additionally, the four perspectives share some common beliefs. All of them believe in the importance of sustainable mobility, as well as in the moderate importance of encouraging their members to be socially responsible. These findings offer insight into the different understandings of coworking space sustainability. This is important because currently this field is under-researched, and a more systematic approach to sustainability in this field is needed. This research lays the foundation to do so and helps work toward a better understanding of coworking in a sustainability and innovative context.
Highlights
Over the past decade, coworking has become increasingly popular
Using Q-methodology, this paper addresses the research question “What is a sustainable coworking space?” to develop four distinct perspectives on what a sustainable coworking space is
In order to work toward a better understanding of what a sustainable coworking space is, this research paper uses Q-methodology to explore what coworking space owners, managers, and industry experts believe a sustainable coworking space is
Summary
At present there are about 20,000 projected coworking spaces worldwide, and this number is expected to double by 2024 [1]. The rising trend of coworking shows a shift in the way humans work and is supported by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, that is changing how companies conduct business [2]. As we move toward smart cities, the growth of coworking has the ability to shape industries and cities as a whole [5]. The transformational shift toward coworking may have the ability to increase economic welfare in a sustainable way [6,7]. It is believed that coworking spaces can be sustainable in their design and practice sustainable business models [10]. There is no consensus on what a sustainable coworking space entails
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