Readings

Organisational space and spatial practice

Space as experienced, practised and socially produced, including how organisational power relations take material form.

• Taylor, S. and Spicer, A. (2007). Time for space: A narrative review of research on organizational spaces. International Journal of Management Reviews. Google Scholar
• Migliore, A., Rossi-Lamastra, C. and Tagliaro, C. (2025). Home vs office: Does workspace design influence where academics conduct their research? Research Policy. Google Scholar
• Furnari, S. (2014). Interstitial spaces: Microinteraction settings and the genesis of new practices between institutional fields. Academy of Management Review. Google Scholar

Proximity, microgeography and the built environment

Enclosures, barriers, layout and ambient surroundings that shape interaction and behaviour.

• Elsbach, K. D. and Pratt, M. G. (2007). The physical environment in organizations. Academy of Management Annals. Google Scholar
• Oyedeji, B. A., Ko, Y. H. and Lee, S. (2025). Physical work environments: An integrative review and agenda for future research. Journal of Management. Google Scholar
• Lee, S. and Sosa, M. E. (2025). Spaces for creativity: Unconventional workspaces and divergent thinking. Management Science. Google Scholar
• Roche, M. P., Oettl, A. and Catalini, C. (2024). Proximate (co-)working: Knowledge spillovers and social interactions. Management Science. Google Scholar

Place, meaning and identity

Spaces made meaningful through experience, attachment, narrative and collective interpretation.

• Gieryn, T. F. (2000). A space for place in sociology. Annual Review of Sociology. Google Scholar
• Cresswell, T. (2004). Place: A Short Introduction. Blackwell. Google Scholar
• Nash, L. (2020). Performing place: A rhythmanalysis of the City of London. Organization Studies. Google Scholar
• Aversa, P., Furnari, S. and Jenkins, M. (2022). The primordial soup: Exploring the emotional microfoundations of cluster genesis. Organization Science. Google Scholar

Cities, regions and neighbourhoods

Local communities, cities, regions and ecosystems that shape organisational practices, opportunities and outcomes.

• Marquis, C. and Battilana, J. (2009). Acting globally but thinking locally? The enduring influence of local communities on organizations. Research in Organizational Behavior. Google Scholar
• Brandtner, C. and Suárez, D. (2021). The structure of city action: Institutional embeddedness and sustainability practices in U.S. cities. American Review of Public Administration. Google Scholar
• Gagliardi, L. and Iammarino, S. (2018). Innovation in risky markets: Ownership and location advantages in the UK regions. Journal of Economic Geography. Google Scholar
• Hwang, J. and Yoon, H. (2026). Shifting and persisting neighborhood hierarchies: Immigrant influx and the gentrification of Black neighborhoods in the twenty-first century. Sociological Perspectives. Google Scholar

Infrastructure and meso-geography

Material and connective systems that enable, organise and constrain activity across places and scales.

• Dutta, S., Armanios, D. E. and Desai, J. D. (2021). Beyond spatial proximity: The impact of enhanced spatial connectedness from new bridges on entrepreneurship. Organization Science. Google Scholar
• Roche, M. P. (2020). Taking innovation to the streets: Microgeography, physical structure, and innovation. The Review of Economics and Statistics. Google Scholar

Distributed and virtual spaces

Organising across dispersed, hybrid and digitally mediated spaces, shaped by technologies and changing patterns of presence and mobility.

• Mazmanian, M., Orlikowski, W. J. and Yates, J. (2013). The autonomy paradox: The implications of mobile email devices for knowledge professionals. Organization Science. Google Scholar
• Leonardi, P. M. (2021). COVID-19 and the new technologies of organizing: Digital exhaust, digital footprints, and artificial intelligence in the wake of remote work. Journal of Management Studies. Google Scholar

Space syntax

Analysing the configuration of buildings and cities to show how spatial layout shapes movement, encounter and interaction.

• Hillier, B. and Hanson, J. (1984). The Social Logic of Space. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
• Hillier, B. (1996). Space is the Machine: A Configurational Theory of Architecture. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
• Sailer, K. and McCulloh, I. (2012). Social networks and spatial configuration: How office layouts drive social interaction. Social Networks. Google Scholar

Further methods to add

Mapping and GIS, ethnographies of place, spatial network analysis, and more, as members contribute.