Originally found at Fast Company, by Beth Humberd, Scott Latham, and Deborah Salon.

The future of the office has become an open question after the coronavirus lockdown forced tens of millions of Americans to work from home. Will office workers flock back to their cubicles and water coolers when the pandemic ends? Or will employees want to hold on to their newfound freedom and flexibility, while employers eye the lower costs of the lack of a physical footprint? At least a few companies have already answered this question: Twitter, for example, says most of its employees can continue working from home forever, making the office merely a place to meet clients. We asked three scholars to weigh in on the future of the office.

Continue reading the original article at Fast Company.

Read the original research in Academy of Management Review.

Read more about the original research in AOM Insights.

Explore research about the open office trend in this AOM Insights informational graphic.

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Shalini Khazanchi, Rochester Institute of Technology
• Therese A. Sprinkle, Quinnipiac University
• Suzanne S. Masterson, University of Cincinnati
• Nathan Tong, University of Hartford
• Beth K. Humberd, University of Massachusetts Lowell