Transition from a Traditional to a Flexible Office Concept

Abstract

The flexible office concept gains popularity, in national as well as international context. Despite of its popularity, the implementation of a flexible office in organizations involves difficulties and discomfort among employees. This study investigates the implementation of the flexible working environment in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Specifically, this research aims at gaining insight in employees’ expectations, investigates employees’ evaluation of the transitional process towards the new office and the influence of the expectations on the evaluation of the process. Data are collected from interviews with 23 respondents, taken along in the last weeks of the transitional process. Results indicate that employees have fairly negative expectations of the new office. Furthermore, the respondents generally evaluated the transitional process as rather good. The influence of employees’ expectations on their evaluation of the transitional process remains indefinable and needs further research. Recommendations for later phases of the transitional process, limitations of the study and implications for future research are discussed.