Travail hybride et appropriation de l’espace : quand le « job crafting » environnemental nourrit le sens professionnel

Abstract

Drawing on environmental psychology applied to the workplace, Person–Environment Fit theory and job crafting, this study examines the process of space appropriation among hybrid workers and how it can be interpreted as a form of environmental job crafting that may support the construction of meaning at work. Based on 17 qualitative interviews conducted with Italian employees working in hybrid mode and analysed through interpretative phenomenological analysis and content analysis, the findings suggest that personalisation and the active configuration of the environment foster identity processes, motivation, and congruence between the self, the place, and the professional role. Appropriation thus emerges as a strategic resource that supports well-being and engagement, rather than as mere decoration. Encouraging such practices could facilitate more sustainable and human-centred transitions toward hybrid work arrangements. Finally, the study contributes to enriching job crafting theory by explicitly integrating a spatial dimension, opening new avenues for research and managerial practice.