The production of hybrid workspace

This paper studies micro-processes of organizational change when introducing the concept of hybrid workspace, which is the working of employees at multiple workplaces. The topic has received much attention during and after the Covid pandemic. Drawing on a longitudinal qualitative study of a major European bank in Paris, we foreground the introduction of hybrid workspace as a change process connecting space, technology, and human agency. We found four contradictions related to the introduction of hybrid workspace: (1) connecting with versus disconnecting from others; (2) agile versus sedentary work; (3) paperless versus paper based-working; (4) home workspace versus organizational routines. These findings contribute to the literature on the production of hybrid workspace suggesting recognizing users’ sense making and improvisation, and calling to recognize and embrace contradictions in managing change process.