Multilocational work culture–the use of flexible spaces and the new paradigm of work in university support services

Background and aim – Multilocational work challenges university organizations on the individual, team, and organizational level. The goal of this study is to understand the impact of multilocational work of university support services.
Methods / Methodology – The research is explorative. Methods include a work culture case study and two supportive surveys in the university. Data was gathered by observations, document analysis and interviews. The analysis was based on identifying significant datapoints from the rich data. The classification and qualitative coding provide the data-based patterns of multilocational work culture.
Results – The results indicate some patterns of multilocational work culture. One is community-driven choices to come to the office on campus. The workplace transformation creates a subculture and a pattern of fear of losses. The fear is diminished by giving the users the mandate and role to manage the multilocational workplace experience.
Originality (if applicable) – The novelty of the research is based on data collected mainly during the post-Covid period and in laying the foundations of understanding how to succeed in facilitating the return to campus.
Practical or social implications – The practical implications for facilities management underline the importance of acting as a change agent in the transformation of working culture. The results indicate that the patterns appear on diverse levels in terms of change resistance. Future studies about the layered working culture can specify the phenomena in diverse cultural layers of academic workplaces.