Workplace Geeks
Workplace Geeks is the podcast on a mission to celebrate the most innovative workplace research in the world. Hosted by Chris Moriarty and Ian Ellison, each episode explores fascinating work with the authors themselves, capturing practical learning and business impacts. Join the Workplace Geeks to bridge the gap between academia and business as we explore the diverse elements that can affect workplace experience, employee value and business performance.
Workplace Geeks
Original hybrid material | with Susan Halford
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After a humble apology and a dig into the #WorkplaceGeeks mailbag, Chris and Ian are joined by Susan Halford, Professor of Sociology at the University of Bristol, to talk about a very special study indeed. Back in 2005, as Susan published research findings from her case study at ‘Insurance Co’, she used ‘hybrid’ to describe working between home, office and other workspaces. Yes, that’s right. Hybrid. In 2005. Dial yer brains up to eleven ready for this intellectual listen. The findings are every bit as relevant to work and workplace right now, as the name.
Thinking about hybrid working only in terms of different spaces risks oversimplifying the impact of hybrid on people, work and organizations. Hybrid workspaces have ‘relationality’: the different options affect the way work gets done, how people socialize, and how work gets organized and managed. Today, we need to get past opinions and headlines, and gather more empirical evidence to help us understand not just what is going on, but why.
Timings
[00:47] Welcome to Workplace Geeks
[01:47] #WorkplaceGeeks mailbag
[03:47] Introducing Susan Halford and her research
[05:32] *Interview listening guidance and suggestions*
[07:51] Interview starts
[08:50] Sociology, work and workplace
[13:42] The hybrid 2005 research
[32:02] Relevance of findings to hybrid working today
[43:22] BDFI ‘Neutral Lab’
[51:19] The PinderPonder™
Learn more
- The original 2005 Hybrid Workspace paper
- Susan’s University of Bristol profile page
- Bristol Digital Futures Institute page
- BDFI Neutral Lab
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Workplace Geeks is sponsored by 2468 Group ☕️
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