Organizational approach that advocates for work environments free of personalization to enhance productivity and create distraction-free spaces. However, it has been found that this approach neglects the powerful effects that expression can have on worker productivity. 

Wake Forest University

- Previous research on the workplace has focused on the effects of physical aspects of the space, such as layout
- However, spaces can also be psychologically impactful due to the ways in which they support (or discourage) group identity
- This support of identity has been shown to affect performance in other settings (Example: "home court advantage")

Introduction (Identity Signaling & Workplace Productivity)

Greenaway K.A., Thai A.H., Haslam S.A., Murphy S.C. (2016). Spaces that signal identity improve workplace productivity. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 15(1), 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000148

Spaces that Signal Identity Improve Workplace Productivity

"Lean" Philosophy of Space Management (Identity Signaling & Workplace Productivity)

- Within team/group settings, identification with these groups has shown greater levels of job satisfaction, wellbeing, and productivity. 
- Thus, spaces should allow for the promotion of meaningful work identities.
- Shared and non-shared group membership can, however, lead to intergroup competition and workspace territoriality. Both can lead to distraction from the tasks at hand.
- As a result, threatening meaningful work identities (by reflecting aspects of rival teams' identities, for example) can incur these negative effects.

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