Open AccessThe Office as a Mixing Pot and Playground. An Ethnographic Study at a Creative Workplace
Author(s) -
Cecilia Serrano-Martínez
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
qualitative sociology review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1733-8077
DOI - 10.18778/1733-8077.12.3.07
Subject(s) - ethnography , creative work , sociology , work (physics) , creative industries , creative brief , set (abstract data type) , public relations , workspace , creativity , visual arts , psychology , social psychology , computer science , engineering , anthropology , political science , mechanical engineering , art , artificial intelligence , robot , programming language
This paper aims to contribute to knowledge of the factors which inform the grouping of creative workers in particular places. It is based on a case study of Aragón, a region of Spain, and draws on a period of nine months of ethnographic work among a particular group of creative workers. The main hypothesis is that there are visual components in the work environment that are stimulating for workers and there is a number of creative flows in these workspaces. I have selected one office that is occupied by two different groups of creative professionals: web designers and programmers. The research concludes that there is evidence that a shared set of cultural values, ideas about work organization, and a hybrid work-life balance are significant to the location choices of creative workers. The research is relevant as a contribution to knowledge about how creative places work.