Managing Knowledge Within Physical Workspace

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the overlooked relationship between physical workplace and the creation of knowledge. More precisely, the work investigates whether physical proximity influences knowledge creation and novelty within organizations. First, this study proposes an overview of the existing literature on knowledge management and facility management in order to define knowledge creation, its determinants and how, once created, knowledge is managed within the organizations. Then, it takes on the challenge of understanding the relation between knowledge and physical workplace. In fact, the existing literature shows deep and wide gaps as well as fragmentation in existing research over the relation between the creation of new knowledge and the physical workplace. Finally, the Vodafone case provides specifications about the complex relationship between knowledge creation, knowledge management and the physical workplace. The method of analysis chosen for the study is that of descriptive case research, which utilizes interviews and observational data gathering, in order to describe situations and events. Results show that the company’s workplace is a fundamental stimulus for a culture that promotes interaction and communication among coworkers, underlining the fundamental role of the workspace to enhance knowledge creation and knowledge sharing. Moreover,"static" open plans design might not always be the right solution in and of itself for companies willing to increase knowledge creation, but the workplace has to be fulfilled with specific space settings that allow employees to interact and strengthen their relations.