Learning-by-Moving: Can Reconfiguring Spatial Proximity Between Organizational Members Promote Individual-level Exploration?

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lee, Sunkee
• 署名单位: Carnegie Mellon University
• 刊物名称: ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1047-7039
• DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2019.1291
• 发表日期: 2019
• 页码: 467-488
• 关键词: Organization design; Organizational learning; spatial design; spatial proximity; seating arrangements; individual-level exploration; microfoundations of strategy; natural experiment

摘要

This research proposes that individual-level exploration can be promoted by reconfiguring the spatial proximity between organizational members' workspaces. To test this idea, I exploit a natural experiment in an e-commerce company where the spatial distances between organizational members' workspaces were reconfigured. Consistent with the theory I develop on learning, results suggest that individuals whose workspaces were moved closer to those of previously separated peers engaged in more individual-level exploration. This pattern was stronger for individuals who had higher prior organizational experience and those who did not have ties with previously separated peers. Finally, I found that the relocated individuals also achieved higher financial performance. Overall, this study highlights the importance of an underexamined organization design element-spatial design-and its implications for organizational learning, individual-level exploration, and firm performance.