As institution and firms commit a lot of resources to strengthen their potential for innovation, many do not realize that their office design may be a barrier or building block for achieving their goals. Every country has its unique organizational culture which affects the way offices are arranged. Researchers at Steelcase agree on six dimensions of the workplace culture which impacts the social dynamics of the office setting. Examining the trade-offs which are inherent in each other, firms may decide to design spaces which can enable the workers to operate effectively.
In autocratic cultures, there is limited communication and collaboration across all the power levels. Team works are encouraged within groups, but the several departments are segregated in distinct spaces ( Congdon & Gall, 2013) . Workers have limited access to the executives. An organization gives a considerable effort to getting things right through internal protocols and procedures. Office spaces emphasize on a controlled culture when they have fixed and closed individual areas which can either be enclosed by drywall or cubicles. This is opposed to the feminine culture where cooperation and harmony are highly valued ( Congdon & Gall, 2013) . More fluid spaces which encourage equality and reflect attention on well-being are used. An organization focuses on team building and long-term internal development of the employees. Office spaces emphasize a collaborative and a culture of equality with few individual spaces and more attention on group areas.
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I believe that understanding cultural differences is essential in designing offices since the design elaborates and expresses the organization's set of values attitudes, behaviors and assumptions. The office set up, and the plan is the invisible code which determines whether an organization sinks or soars. Just like the rungs of a ladder, an organization's ability to innovate and expand itself is tied to collaboration which depends on engagement in a workplace. Even if companies express a culture of teamwork, empowerment, and diversity, the design of the office design may express fear, control or hierarchy.
Reference
Congdon, C., & Gall, C. (2013). How culture shapes the office. Harvard business review , 91 (5), 34-35.
