Workplace by Design: Mapping the High-Performance Workscape (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series) [Paperback]

Franklin Becker (Author), Fritz Steele (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787900478 | ISBN-13: 978-0787900472 | Publication Date: April 21, 1995 | Edition: 1st

Create workspace that supports business strategies

Space is an organization's second most valuable asset. Yet little attention is paid to how it supports the new ways in which today's organizations operate---teamwork, flattened hierarchies, telecommuting, collaborating across functions. Workplace by Design shows CEOs and managers alike how to put aside and rethink conventional, awkward notions of space utilization based on hierarchy and status--notions that pit people against each other in turf wars, tear apart teams, and tie up company cash. Using illustrative examples from Digital Equipment Corporation, Steelcase, and others, the authors show how team environments, non-territorial offices and other strategies can support business objectives, energize employees, and produce a more competitive organization.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With all the literature devoted to change in the workplace, discussing either the role of technology or the need to restructure organizations, little attention has been paid to the physical workplace and how space can limit or shape both work itself and the application of technology. Becker, director of the International Workplace Studies Program at Cornell University, and Steele, a consultant and former faculty member at Yale and Harvard Universities, target managers and organizational leaders with this consideration of the consequences of space planning and design. They look at work-flow patterns, the status and identity aspects of space and location, the need for flexibility, the growing role of teams, health factors, and the unique characteristics and technological requirements of remote or off-site workers. This book will be a valuable addition to any collection concerned with the future of work. David Rouse

Review

A very readable and practical book&Offers a number of interesting perspectives on organisational consulting& -- The Occupational  Psychologist, December 2002

"Workplace by Design provides executive leadership with the necessary expert advice and technical guidance to deliver and manage the new workplaces in a way that matches exceptional cost savings with extraordinary organizational effectiveness." —Michael A. Bell, director, Corporate Real Estate, The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation

"This book picks up where Handy's The Age of Unreason leaves off. It poses a case for a leader to contemplate his or her company as an 'ecosystem' and to reframe issues of the employee environment as akey strategic function and not a tactical after thought." —Laurie Coots, director of Business Development, Chiat/Day

A very readable and practical bookOffers a number of interesting perspectives on organisational consulting (The Occupational Psychologist, December 2002)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (April 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787900478
• ISBN-13: 978-0787900472
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking, June 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Workplace by Design: Mapping the High-Performance Workscape (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series) (Paperback)

Overall a very good book. The authors try to show the incredible importance of workplace design and offer many examples of well designed workplaces. They are a little weak on empirical backing for some of their claims but all of what they say has at least an intuitive appeal.