Like an Elephant in the room: the emergence of informal interactions in the workplace

Abstract

ABSTRACTResearch concerning employees’ informal interactions in organizational life has shown many positive impacts for the company and the employees. However, there is reduced research concerning how a place for informal interactions emerges within organizations. To fulfill this objective, we relied on Lefebvre’s [1991 [1974]. The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell] philosophical approach and undertook a longitudinal single case study within the headquarters of a large bank. Despite all the managerial efforts to conceive and promote a space dedicated to informal interactions, another space that did not have any function in the original architectural project, emerged as a lived space in the sense of Lefebvre. From our study, we highlight two contributions. First, we show how a lived space emerges within an organization, through a mix of social practice, of everyday life rhythms, and of shared symbols. Second, we unveil a concrete manifestation of a counter-space in an organization, in the sense of Lefebvre’s theory.KEYWORDS: Lived spaceinformal interactionsLefebvresymbolic interactioncounter-space Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).