Work spaces in two small firms: the management of people beyond organizational walls

Down, Simon and Taylor, Scott (2001) Work spaces in two small firms: the management of people beyond organizational walls. In: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School Working Papers. Working Paper. Manchester Metropolitan University. ISSN 1471-857X

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Abstract

Recent work (Baldry, 1999) reminding work and organisational sociologists of the importance of spatial aspects of employee and organisational control may be bounding "the organisation" and the "organisational space" too closely. The homogeneity and unitarism of work space and organisation has been emphasised to the detriment of the plurality of places actually used in organisational and managerial processes. This paper presents empirical data from two ethnographic studies. The studies demonstrate that although the actual office or work place may be the primary spatial arena of workplace relations, other locales also serve as sites of organisational habitation and practice. The implications of such an analysis for the management of the employment relationship are explored.