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Workspace Personalization Down, Says Steelcase

The older you are, the more likely you are to decorate your office space.

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 8/24/2006 12:00:00 AM

Steelcase’s latest survey targets workspace personalization—and the results suggest the trend is down. The office furniture manufacturer pooled nearly 700 office workers in the United States to determine the tendency of workspace personalization, what workers use to personalize, and how corporate culture impacts personal changes to the office environment.

The study, the second of a three-part Workplace Index Survey on the Nature of Work in 2006 conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, says over half (59 percent) of Americans say they personalize their workspace, down from the 85 percent indicated in a similar poll taken in 1996. In part this change is due to available space. The survey reports 37 percent of American workers share space with another, 35 percent do not have a permanent space, and 28 percent cited the lack of space to personalize. Other reasons include wanting to maintain a professional image, avoiding distraction, and office policy. Only 40 percent of those polled work from an office that actively encourages employees to decorate their workspace.

Age is also a factor. Younger Americans are less likely to personalize their office environment.

So what are we using to decorate? Photographs (84 percent) are the most likely choice, followed by calendars, paintings or posters, and "knick-knacks." “This study on personalization validates the notion that people are working differently and viewing space differently compared with ten years ago," says Chris Congdon, manager of corporate marketing for Steelcase. "Employees are becoming increasingly mobile and many organizations have responded to that trend by creating shared 'touch down' spaces that people can use when they need to be in the office, which allows companies to use their overall space more efficiently.”

The complete survey is available online.