Employees’ Perception of Agile Working: A Case Study in A Multinational Public Relations Agency

Abstract

With the rise of flexible work arrangements that allow employees to have better working conditions that adhere to their preferences and consequently empower them, emerges another flexible work setup. Agile working is a new approach that maximizes the utilization of environment. Instead of the traditional office setup comprised of designated desks and cubicles, agile offices allow employees to freely choose which area they can best work in. The agile workspace is specifically designed to be conducive for employees minus the physical setup that has been associated with the traditional workplace. The purpose of this study is to gather qualitative data on the perceptions of a multinational public relations agency’s employees on agile working which they recently implemented. To determine their views, thoughts and opinions on agile working, interviews with seven of the company’s employees were conducted. The results show that the employees perceive agile working as the reason for their renewed flexibility, collaboration, and creativity. They see their agile workspace as an office that suits their line of work in the industry and their personal work styles, and helps them enjoy their jobs. However, they also perceive some inadequacies in the agile workspace such as the difficulty of setting up meetings and the need for an even bigger space. Future studies should consider other dimensions of agile working so that more information will be added to the limited materials on the subject.