Working in a cocoon: (Co)working conditions of office nomads - a health related qualitative study of shared working environments.

Abstract

The flexible working and business model of coworking spaces inherits the provision of workspace and further the construction of a network for entrepreneurs, creative and knowledge workers. Until now, research on coworking spaces is scarce in the field of health sciences. This study investigated reasons and motives for working in coworking spaces and working conditions under health related aspects. Demands and resources while working in coworking spaces were analyzed according to a theoretical model for (Job-demands-resources model - JDR) perceived working conditions. Twenty semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with coworkers (n = 14) and coworking operators (n = 6) in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. Participants were asked to describe the reasons and motivations for working in coworking spaces and their perceived working conditions. Transcripts were analyzed according to content analysis. The most mentioned reason for using coworking spaces were the community aspect (n = 15) followed by the alternative to home office (n = 12). Negative job demands seem to result from unfavorable ergonomic conditions, working disruptions, miscommunications and missing privacy. Time flexibility, social surrounding and increased productivity were interpreted as job resources. These results can be seen as a basis for further quantitative research in order to generalize these findings, by testing hypotheses and develop workplace-related concepts for health management.