Creating Home at Work: Humanistic Geography and Placemaking in Organizations

Drawing on the positive connotations associated with home from humanistic geography (Relph 1976; Tuan 1977; Cresswell 2015) and Western culture (Rybczynski 1986; Mallett 2004), this paper explores how and why workers engage in placemaking activities to make their workspaces into homes. Using photo elicitation interviews with workers in many occupations, the results show that workers use various practices including personalization and reconfiguration of one's workspace, creating positive meanings, carving out private spaces, and creating community to create home at work. The humanistic geography literature suggests that workers undergo these activities in order to thrive and live an authentic human existence. In light of changes to work, organizations, and society, it seems that work may be an increasing source of attachment for workers and that homemaking at work facilitates this connection.