Coworking: um estudo sobre produção de bens e serviços em espaço de organização coworking em Salvador

Abstract

Coworking organization, specialized in providing support services for coworkers in their production of goods and services, has shown an upward trend, and the scholarly literature has not kept up with such an organizational phenomenon. This dissertation aims to comprehend production of goods and services in space of coworking organization in Salvador (Bahia, Brazil) and more specifically it intends to describe spaces of coworking organization in Salvador, to describe productions of goods and services of coworking organization in Salvador, and to interpret productions of goods and services in spaces of coworking organization in Salvador. These goals have been accomplished through a theoretical approach and a study on the production of goods and services in space of coworking organization. The theoretical approach conceives the production of goods and services as productive practices in space of coworking organization. In this study, a mixed, predominantly qualitative research method was employed. The first stage of the field research was carried out at two units of a coworking organization identified by “Coworking 1”, located in Salvador. The results of this qualitative research were the basis for the quantitative research among coworkers using coworking organizations in Salvador. The descriptions of both the physical and virtual spaces and the productions of goods and services of “Coworking 1” for its coworkers and the coworkers’ productions for their customers were interpreted as productions of goods and services in spaces of the “Coworking 1” organization under 11 themes: use of spaces as a workplace; use of spaces for networking and interaction; use of spaces as a “community”; relevance of the location considering the spaces and services offered; priority services and complementary services; use of collective living spaces; use of common and collective spaces; the meaning of coworking for coworkers; adequacy between production and space; virtual space; and innovation and innovation ecosystem. In interpreting productions of goods and services in spaces of coworking organization in Salvador, the above-mentioned themes and the convergences and divergences related to the interpretation of productions of goods and service in spaces of the “Coworking 1” organization were verified. The discussion of the descriptions and interpretations of the study in the light of the theoretical approach led to comprehend production of goods and services in space of coworking organization in Salvador as a bundle of productive practices (coworking–coworkers; coworkers–customers), seen as a bundle of activities and actions involving people – individuals and collectives; coworking managers and employees, and coworkers –, spaces (physical and virtual) and things (in isolation and in material arrangements).