Co-working in an experiencescape - A case study on the consumption in a co-working space combined with a restaurant and café

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to contribute to an understanding of the consumption taking place in a co-working space that is combined with a restaurant and café. The research on such combinations is still sparse and previous literature on co-working and co-working spaces is therefore used in combination with a model which understands physical spaces as experiencescapes. Together, the literature on co-working and the literature on experiences makes up a framework that is later used to guide the analysis of how the combined co-working space is designed, used and experienced. After the theory is presented, a process of data collection follows. Thus, by means of qualitative interviews and participant observations, the case study researches what is happening in a combined co-working space through a holistic perspective of interactionism, giving insight to the phenomenon of co-working as an experience. The thesis furthermore takes a perspective of critical realism and therefore empirically seeks to explore without being theoretically affected. Hence, an abductive approach is used and the research design is iterative. The study finds that several activities are taking place in the combined co-working space as visitors are working, studying, eating, drinking, playing, discussing, etc. The design of the combined co-working space is also found to be functional and it enables for different types of activities, similar to other co-working spaces. However, it is also found that the personnel do not play an equally important role as in other co-working spaces. Continuing, the combined co-working space is further thematized as a public living room or a youth recreation centre, making the visitors feel safe and comfortable. Further, it is found that customers do not interact a lot with other visitors during day time. However, when the lights are dimmed and the music raised as the evening hits, it happens that visitors interact with each other. Moreover, the personnel are not engaged in much interaction except for when ping pong tournaments or game nights are arranged. Through the application of the multi-disciplinary previous literature on co-working spaces and the multi-dimensional framework of experiencescapes, it is concluded that the consumption is not constant. Instead, the combined co-working space can rather be understood as a room wherein different experiences are co-created by its customers each day, influenced by what customers that are visiting that day, the recurring theme of the space, the personnel and design of the place. Thus, what is happening inside the combined co-working space can not easily be determined, except from concluding that the consumption involves not only the purchase of objects, but also the co-creation of value happening continuously, symbolizing a collaborative culture.