Redefining the corporate environment
Though work-style reforms are spreading through corporate Japan, not all are about cutting overtime and encouraging employees to use their paid leave. Attention is also being devoted to improving the workplace environment. A poorly designed office can cause stress and hurt productivity. One solution is a concept known as “activity-based working,” which allows people to work in spaces that best suit their tasks. Itoki’s headquarters in the Nihonbashi district is an ABW office that opened in December. The working spaces at Itoki Tokyo Xork, as the office is called, are actually “settings” designed to facilitate various tasks. For example, the “high-focus” setting allows employees to concentrate in private booths or partitioned workstations, and the “inform” setting lets them share ideas on screens while sitting on terraced wood benches. In all, the new office has settings tailored to 10 specific purposes as defined by Dutch consultancy Veldhoen Company Pty Ltd., Itoki said.
Tags : INTERNATIONAL