The productivity tax of new office concepts: a comparative review of open-plan offices, activity-based working, and single-office concepts

Abstract This systematic review critically analyzes the relationship between office concepts and individual organizational performance. Based on current literature, we identify seven key dimensions to guide our understanding: concept, work, personality fit, satisfaction, health, control paradigm, enabling paradigm. Our search yielded 429 published papers performance 2005 2022. Rigorous selection criteria narrowed them down 46 empirical articles included in this analysis. The results show that activity-based working not only negatively impacts but also affects employee satisfaction health. Open-plan offices can reduce real-estate costs lead lower levels, thereby imposing a tax productivity which outweighs initial cost savings. Activity-based has potential enhance collaboration interaction is dependent professional proactive management. In most cases, especially for knowledge workers, single turns out be environment employees best