Like an Elephant in the Room: The Emergence of Informal Interactions in the Workplace

Delphine Minchella (), Jean-Denis Culié () and G. de Campos Ribeiro
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Delphine Minchella: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School
Jean-Denis Culié: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School

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Abstract: Research 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. \textcopyright 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords: counter-space; informal interactions; Lefebvre; Lived space; symbolic interaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Published in Culture and Organization, 2023, 29 (6), pp.528--547. ⟨10.1080/14759551.2023.2216828⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04434041

DOI: 10.1080/14759551.2023.2216828

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