Boston Consulting Group's acquisition of Pittsburgh-based MAYA Design speaks to the relevance that workplace design has assumed in the value proposition for consulting around business transformation. Within its robust digital services offering, MAYA Design's Creative Environments practice specializes in behavioral strategy for the workplace, helping clients achieve business objectives through the design of physical and digital environments. BCG's timing aligns perfectly with a return-to-the-office trend that is gaining momentum against the backdrop of a globally interconnected and mobile workforce.
Witness the growing number of companies suspending telecommute programs as they seek to foster a culture of innovation through agile management, a business methodology that depends on face-to-face communication and flexible, self-regulating teams that interact on a near-daily basis. IBM is the most recent convert, having announced in May that its remote employees must get back to the office or find a new gig. While this is a dispiriting prospect for many, what cannot be denied is the changing nature of work and that physical, human interaction is increasingly considered an important driver of creativity and competitiveness.
The concept of connecting the spatial dimension to human behavior is nothing new. Social psychologists have been studying the "ecological determinants of friendship and group formation" for decades, often in the context of open prison systems, urban housing, and retail environments.[1] That's a scary juxtaposition of models for the business community to learn from, but Zappos founder Tony Hsieh did just that when he moved his employees from suburban to downtown Las Vegas in 2013.
