Coworking and regional development
Coworking spaces is increasingly branded as a flexible office arrangement for sole practitioners, entrepreneurs, or employees in various sectors.
Main content
A key question is whether these visits lead to spontaneous professional collaboration or is just being an available office place for working alone side by side with others. It concerns the composition of the members, individual characteristics, competence, and expectations about collaboration. Forms of interaction has also to do with the business concept, ownership, and organizational arrangements. Another dimension concerns the geographical setting. Some coworking concepts are destinations where work can be combined with recreation activities. Coworking can be a way of introducing a place to potential new inhabitants or be an industrial initiative that attracts business startups.
This ongoing research aims focus on the different managerial approaches, practices and outcomes folds out in less urbanized locations. Data includes a quantitative account of coworking businesses in Norway along with indebt case studies based on fieldwork interviews representing different business concepts.
Grete Rusten, Knut Hilde and Elisabeth Kjærstad Husa (masterstudent) comprise the research team.