Office Design |

July 12, 2016

Can a new office design change your company culture?

Company culture is embedded within all aspects of an organisation. From initially creating organisational values to the ways in which employees communicate with each other – culture has significant impact upon how we perform within the workspace.

Each company has its own unique set of norms and behaviours. Therefore, your corporate culture will be distinctively unique to your organisation.

A company’s culture often evolves as developments within the organisation take place, including business growth or even a change in management. However, the environment and surroundings a business operates from can also have significant impact on workplace culture.

In this guide, we’ll discuss the ways in which a new office design could affect company culture.

Communication

The channels that your employees use to communicate, as well as style whether formal or informal, can often reflect your company’s culture.

Cultures that encourage open communication often opt for flatter organisational structures that allows communication to flow freely between employees, which helps boost innovation. This can be encouraged through the layout and design of their office.

Check out our blog about the benefits of an open planned office and how collaborative working could be a desired feature of your workspace.

Encouraging innovation

An office space can drastically change the ways in which your employees communicate. An open office space with subordinates and management working together within one area, rather than separate, allows for easier communication.

This enables employees to interact more freely and creates more practical ways to communicate, rather than waiting for emails or meetings which can take time.

This encouragement of communication and innovation within an organisation directly impacts its’ culture.

Google’s offices promote this ‘accidental collision’ through office design which helps promote innovation and collaboration between members of different team who wouldn’t ordinarily work with one another. See our blog on Google’s office designs for more information.

Furniture within the workspace may also influence innovation. Having moveable chairs and tables within the office readily available for informal meetings further increases the likelihood of collaborative innovation. Private booths and high-back chairs are other useful features to have within the workspace that allows privacy for meetings and other brainstorming sessions.

A social workspace

Informal communication has the potential to be changed by office design.

Trendy, comfortable kitchens and communal areas are more appealing for employees and will be more likely used.

At Workspace Design and Build, we have an extensive portfolio of chic kitchen and communal designs which are suited to any office culture. Sharing a communal area increases the likelihood of ‘casual collision’ between employees which ultimately strengthens co-worker relationships. This effects corporate culture in that a positive and friendly atmosphere is likely to be present.

Office design also has the capability to inject a sense of fun into a business’s culture, which is fundamental in boosting employee morale. Ping-pong tables, televisions and board games in staffrooms are all optional office features that could contribute to employee well-being and ultimately greater satisfaction.

Colours and culture

Colours and finishes can also reinforce a company’s culture. Brand colours and logos help create a personal space that develops a long-term impression on both your employees and visitors.

Likewise, the colours within your workspace help create an ambience that allows for maximum productivity. Different colour schemes have different effects upon the working environment. For example, ‘oranges’ stimulate concentration, ‘reds’ encourage productivity, ‘blues’ promote serenity and is the most popular colour scheme for office design.

You can also take a look at our blog about the impact of colour within the workspace and how it effects organisational culture.

If you need advice on how to adapt or design your office to best suit your desired business culture, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with Workspace Design today.

And if you have any thoughts on office design’s impact on culture then please share them with us on
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