CREJ

26 / BUILDING DIALOGUE / March 2018 Working Across Distances A Study of Cultures and Workplace Factors Around the Globe T he workplace is changing its focus. Techno- logical advances have shrunken the distance between markets, making it easier than ever to have a global workspace. Client relationships span across borders, and companies are becoming increas- ingly blended with respect to locations. While this glob- al perspective is advantageous in many ways, an under- standing of how different cultures work is essential for global partnerships to be effective. To better understand the cultural nuances from a glob- al standpoint, we surveyed more than 1,400 full-time knowledge workers from 14 different countries about their work, with specific questions about workplace de- sign and satisfaction, collaboration, productivity, innova- tion, well-being, workstyles, expectations and culture. We included 12 countries/regions in our analysis. The full re- port is 95 pages long, so in the essence of sharing a few takeaways, below you will find just a few comparisons to illustrate the breadth of this research. Argentina Of all countries in the study, Argentinian workers re- port one of the lowest levels of satisfaction with their physical workspace. Eighty percent of workers from Ar- gentina are putting in over 40 hours of work per week, the highest number of any country in the study. Australia Australians spend more time working on individual tasks than in groups, and although they get distracted often, they are very productive at the office. They enjoy slightly lower levels of stress and experience high levels of workplace well-being. Australia’s top amenity is train- ing programs, while the top amenity globally is an on-site cafeteria. Brazil Workers in Brazil report a slightly more positive set of workplace features than the global average. They are the proudest to work for their employer and would recom- mend their company as a great place to work more than any other country in the study. Canada Workers in Canada report working less than other countries. Their daily stress level is on par with the global average, however, individuals in Canada experience high- er levels of workplace well-being, feeling happy with the work-life balance practices of their employers and the availability of flex-work programs and policies. China Workers in China report some of the highest satisfac- tion scores on their physical workspace and workplace Jenny West, LEED AP ID+C Business Development Manager, Knoll Moving Forward