The coworking experience: Myth and reality for Canterbury coworkers

Abstract

A coworking space is like a traditional office where coworkers get to work with other members who are not essentially their colleagues. Coworking space is a growing industry supported by the rising number of self-employed and as an alternative to working from home. There are myths that coworking spaces are the same, it is only for freelancers, entrepreneurs and start-ups, and it is noisy and distracting. This study unveils the realities in coworking spaces. This research shows how coworkers perceive a shared workplace in Canterbury, New Zealand. It explores from an interpretivism perspective the characteristics of a coworking space, and how shared space works or does not work for different types of users. Data collection through observation and semi-structured interviews identified three themes: work environment, characteristics of a coworking space, and benefits and drawbacks of coworking space. A coworking space provides its members, either employed or self employed, a professional place to meet their clients. Location and proximity to homes are found to be the key characteristics that coworkers consider in selecting a shared workplace. The advantages of working in a coworking space include a sense of community, knowledge sharing and low-cost workplace. The potential disadvantages include personal clashes, interruptions, and the capacity of the office space. It is recommended to conduct future studies in other cities and consider the purpose of the shared space, expand the length of data collection and explore coworkers’ productivity. As shown in this study, interpretivism philosophy provides a basis for understanding the coworking space from different perspectives to generate in-depth results.