M Minou Weijs-Perrée

Differences between business center concepts in The Netherlands

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the objectives, tenants, spaces and services of different business center concepts and test whether the existing classifications in literature and in the real estate market draw on significantly different concepts. Design/methodology/approach – After a literature review, data on business centers were collected with a questionnaire among owners/mangers of 139 business centers in the Netherlands. The existing business center concepts are examined whether these concepts are significantly different, using bivariate analyses. Findings – The findings of this study give insight into the business center market, the existing business center concepts and (dis)similarities between the concepts. Although many dissimilarities were found between the business center concepts, like offered services, social spaces and contractual agreements, findings show that the four business center concepts can be offered in similar objects. Originality/value – New ideas about working a...

Analysing user preferences for co-working space characteristics

ABSTRACT Over the past decades, the use of mobile technology has increased and the attitude towards work has changed, making it possible to work anywhere at any time. However, workers still seek work environments that stimulate networking and collaboration possibilities. This has led to the growing popularity of co-working spaces. However, little is known about the specific preferences of co-working space users. The aim of this research is to analyse user preferences for co-working space characteristics. Stated choice data were collected by means of a questionnaire which was completed by 219 respondents of 25 co-working spaces in the Netherlands. A mixed-multinomial logit model was used to analyse the user preferences. Results show that the main motivations for co-workers to work in a co-working space were that they were looking for a workplace outside their home that allows them to work in an inspiring work environment where the accommodation is affordable. Accessibility and atmosphere/interior are the most important characteristics when choosing a specific co-working space. These results provide owners or managers of co-working spaces with clear insights about how to cope with co-worker preferences by offering co-working spaces with good accessibility by car and public transport, a semi-open layout and a homelike interior.

Location type choice for face-to-face interactions in business centers

As business centers offer shared workspaces and facilities to multiple organizations, it is expected that these organizations interact more frequently with each other. More empirical research is needed on where these interactions take place in business centers and how this behavior is influenced. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the location choice for face-to-face interactions of business center users. Data collected by means of a questionnaire and an Experience Sampling Method (ESM), was analyzed using a Mixed Multinomial Logit Model (MMNL). Results showed that inter-organizational interactions take place less frequently at workspaces or formal meeting spaces and more frequently at shared spaces such as the coffee corner, cafe/restaurant/canteen or at other informal spaces. These interactions are also more likely to be influenced by features of the physical work environment, as these interactions were found to be mainly coincidental compared to the intra-organizational interactions. These findings could help office designers with regard to stimulating face-to-face interactions among organizations in business centers.

User preferences for coworking space characteristics

Over the past decades, the usage of mobile technology increased and the attitude towards work changed, which made it possible to work anywhere at any time. However, workers are still looking for work environments that stimulate the work/life balance, networking and collaboration possibilities. This had led to the growing popularity of coworking spaces.Still little is known about the specific preferences of users of these coworking spaces. The aim of this research is therefore to analyze user preferences for coworking space characteristics.Stated choice data was collected by means of a questionnaire with 9 choice sets that was completed by 219 respondents of 16 coworking spaces in the Netherlands. In addition, respondents were asked about socio-demographic characteristics, work-related characteristics and their motivations to work at a coworking space. A mixed logit model was used to analyze the user preferences.Results provide owners or managers of coworking spaces with more insight about the preferences of users of coworking spaces. They could adapt to these preferences by offering coworking spaces with diverse workspaces, facilities and services.

Loneliness, residential environment, mobility, and ICT-use among elderly

urpose A major challenge with respect to an aging society is to maintain quality of life of the elderly and to prevent them from feelings of loneliness. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect feelings of loneliness. Thus far, the effect of mobility and the living environment on loneliness have been largely overlooked1. In this study we take into account the possible effects of personal and household characteristics, characteristics of the residential environment, mobility and use of communication technology. Method For this study survey data were collected in 2015 in the Netherlands. The sample consists of 182 elderly aged 65 and over. Loneliness was measured using a 6-item scale 2. The item scores were summed to a total score, with a mean of 14.42 and a standard deviation of 4.47. We used a stepwise linear regression model to analyse the factors that affect loneliness. Results & Discussion The results suggest that elderly with a low income and recently widowed elderly are likely to be lonelier. People with a relatively large social network are less lonely. With respect to the residential environment we find that elderly living in an apartment are less lonely. This might be explained by the fact that in an apartment people have fellow residents they can socialize with. On the other hand, people in rural areas also tend to be less lonely. This can be explained by the fact that in rural areas stronger local networks still exist3. Social cohesion and residential satisfaction are also related to feeling less lonely. With respect to mobility, the GARS score (Groningen Activity Restriction Scale)4 appears to have the strongest effect on loneliness. People who are more restricted in their daily activities tend to be lonelier. Finally, the results indicate that elderly who use a tablet at least once a month are less lonely. These results are relevant for health care and urban policy makers who aim to improve quality of life of the aging population.