The Transdisciplinary Workplace Research (TWR) Network explores the relationship between people, work and work environments, including the places and spaces where work occurs. The TWR network was initiated by Prof. Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek from Eindhoven University of Technology in 2017, and is managed by the TWR board composed of an international and transdisciplinary group of workplace researchers.
The TWR network brings together workplace researchers and research-focused professionals from many relevant disciplines to share their insights and ideas about the best place(s) to work. With an interest in the interaction between work and place, we study how the spaces and places where work occurs shape, and are shaped by, work processes, organisational structures, cultures, collective action, behaviours, relationships and networks. We examine how these environments influence the way people work, learn, collaborate, innovate and thrive, as well as their wellbeing, safety, inclusion and engagement. Workplaces take many forms, including offices, campuses, laboratories, coworking spaces, healthcare facilities, retail environments, factories, hospitality venues, logistics facilities, construction sites and outdoor work settings. We examine workplace phenomena at multiple scales, from individual experiences and team interactions to organisational strategies, real estate portfolios and broader societal, geographical and territorial impacts.
Our primary focus is on the physical and hybrid settings in which work takes place and the ways in which these settings shape work practices, experiences and outcomes. At the same time, we recognise that workplaces are embedded in organisational, digital and social contexts. We therefore study how these contexts interact with places and spaces to influence people, work and organisations.
We welcome theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions on workplace design, workplace experience, hybrid and distributed work, digital technologies, workplace culture, strategic management and innovation, learning processes, coworking practices, health and wellbeing, inclusion and neurodiversity, sustainability, corporate real estate, facilities management, workplace strategy, geography and place, emerging forms of work, and related topics.
Why Transdisciplinary?
The relationship between people, work and place is complex and cannot be fully understood through a single disciplinary lens. Workplace issues cut across physical space, technology, organisational processes, social dynamics and individual experiences. They also differ across sectors, occupations, cultures and geographical contexts.
The TWR Network therefore embraces a transdisciplinary approach. We bring together researchers from diverse academic fields and connect them with practitioners who design, manage, occupy and shape workplaces. By integrating different forms of knowledge and experience, we seek to develop richer insights and more effective solutions to real-world workplace challenges.
Transdisciplinarity does not replace disciplinary expertise. Rather, it builds on strong disciplinary foundations while creating bridges between disciplines, sectors and communities. We believe that the most important workplace questions are best addressed through collaboration across these boundaries.
Does my research fit at a TWR event?
If your research examines the relationship between people, work and place, or explores how workplaces and work environments interact with organisational, digital, social, geographical or societal contexts, it is likely relevant to the TWR community. Research focusing exclusively on organisational, social or technological issues without a connection to workplaces or work environments may fall outside the primary scope of TWR. We welcome researchers and practitioners from diverse disciplines, sectors and perspectives who share an interest in advancing the understanding of workplaces and their impact on people, organisations and society.
TWR 2024 in Edinburgh
TWR 2022 in Milan
General TWR network sponsor
