Business Commons^™

Language In Collaborative Spaces: Advantages And Barriers, Ludovica Leone, Cristina Guardiano, Monica Alexandrina Irimia, Elisa Mattarelli, Fabrizio Montanari

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

An indispensable desideratum in collaborative spaces is to foster dynamic, barrier-free environments where professionals from different backgrounds can find common ground for collaborative projects. However, although such goals cannot be met without proficient and effective communication, research on the use of language as the most important means of information exchange in collaborative spaces is still needed. Our contribution in this chapter consists in exploring the linguistic interactions among coworkers of such spaces. We propose a multidisciplinary approach integrating insights from the organizational literature on communication and research methods in theoretical linguistics. The sociolinguistic analysis of two coworking spaces reveals essential …

Prototypes As Identity Markers: The Double-Edged Role Of Prototypes In Multidisciplinary Innovation Teams, Clio Dosi, Elisa Mattarelli, Matteo Vignoli

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Prototypes play a powerful role in facilitating the work of multidisciplinary innovation teams, but if not properly managed, they may inhibit innovation processes. This paper inquires into the tensions that exist around the use of prototypes in multidisciplinary teams. We studied the relationship between work identities (related to teams and subgroups within teams) and prototypes with a field study of a multidisciplinary team in an emergency department, in charge of redesigning the layout of the unit. Results show that different values of subgroup identities are reflected in the solutions devised by the team. These values become salient through the prototype; …

How Perceptions Of Work-Life Balance And Technology Use Impact Upon Creativity In Collaborative Spaces, Carlotta Cochis, Elisa Mattarelli, Fabiola Bertolotti, Anna Chiara Scapolan, Fabrizio Montanari, Paula Ungureanu

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper unpacks creative processes in collaborative spaces (CS). We focus on how the positive resources related to wellbeing and work-life balance derived from working in CS interplay with the use of collaborative technology in affecting individual creativity. We conducted a survey study with individuals working in 27 different CS in Italy. We propose and find a positive relationship between the perceived level of work-life balance satisfaction and individual creativity. Instead we do not find a significant relationship between the frequency of technology mediated interactions with external actors and individual creativity. Furthermore, the relationship between work-life balance and creativity is …

Multiplex Boundary Work In Innovation Projects: The Role Of Collaborative Spaces For Cross-Functional And Open Innovation, Paula Ungureanu, Carlotta Cochis, Fabiola Bertolotti, Elisa Mattarelli, Anna Chiara Scapolan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose
This study investigates the role of collaborative spaces as organizational support for internal innovation through cross-functional teams and for open innovation with external stakeholders. In particular, the study focuses on collaborative spaces as tools for multiplex (i.e., simultaneous internal and external boundary management in innovation projects).

Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a qualitative study in a multi-divisional organization that set up in its headquarters a collaborative space for collaborative product development. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observations.

Findings
Findings highlight that the relation between expectations and experiences about the collaborative space impact on employees' ability to perform …