What is Culture?
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The personality of an organization
What a company does (its mission, and how it represents itself)
What a company represents (products, publications, architecture, etc.)
How a company acts (company processes and actions that inform what employees think)
Assumptions
Values
Artifacts
Culture
Culture
Culture = Performance
People are at the Center
Employee Needs
Going with the flow. Business performance is not suffering. We’ll likely increase the level of remote work.
People are at the Center
According to a Deloitte survey in 2020, job loyalty for Millennials and Gen Z increased as needs were being met—needs such as mentoring, informal social interaction, amenities, and both personal and professional skill development.
Culture = Performance
Organizations with strong cultures post a higher return to shareholders.
60%
higher than
median companies
200%
higher than bottom-quartile companies
Skill Development
Amenities
Social Interaction
Mentoring
Employee Loyalty
Why Culture?
Click to explore
Competing Values Framework
Culture Characteristics
Collaborative Modes
Collaborative Modes
Why we gather with one another at work can be distilled down to four reasons:
1. To connect socially
2. To think together
3. To inform one another
4. To do something specific
While colleagues may interact in all four ways, one collaboration mode for a group is likely to stand out as preferred – best supporting their primary goals and activities.
Finding common interests
Chatting about personal experiences
Connecting people with opportunities
Sharing humor
Enjoying discussion topics that are wide
and varied
Avoiding one-side discussions
Organizing groups events
Enjoying discussions that are not solution driven
Socially adaptable in any situation
Note: Collaborate group spaces are most used frequently for informal meetings or get-togethers.
Connect
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Note: In a Control culture, information may be most often delivered in a scheduled meeting or formal presentation.
Persuasively sharing information
Getting an idea across
Lecturing on a particular subject
Keeping attention and building enthusiasm
Conveying information to large numbers
of individuals
Providing structure and organization
to materials
Giving and gathering information
Inform
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Brainstorming
Taking risks
Developing broad strategies
Starting new experiments
Making sure it’s never been done before
Looking for patterns in information
Generating different ideas
Surprising everyone with a new idea
Talking about future possibilities
Note: For Create cultures, key spaces should be designed for creative problem solving with long views to nature.
Think
Note: Compete spaces must support workers as they drive to complete tasks quickly.
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Keeping people accountable
Improving productivity
Successfully achieving milestones
Quickly overcoming roadblocks
Developing and keeping schedules
Driving to decisions
Choosing an idea
Delivering results
Do
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Culture Characteristics
Leader Type:
Facilitator, Mentor, Team Builder
Value Drivers:
Commitment, Development, Communication
Theory of Effectiveness:
Human Development and Participation,
Leader Type:
Coordinator, Monitor, Organizer
Value Drivers:
Efficiency, Timeliness, Consistency and Uniformity
Theory of Effectiveness:
Control and Efficiency with Capable Processes
Leader Type:
Innovator, Visionary, Entrepreneur
Value Drivers:
Innovative Outputs, Transform, Agility
Theory of Effectiveness:
Innovativeness, New Resources and Vision
Leader Type:
Hard Driver, Producer, Competitor
Value Drivers:
Market Share, Goal Achievement, Profitability
Theory of Effectiveness:
Aggressively Compete and Customer focus
Competing Values Framework
Knowledge Community
Quality Efficiency
Growth Innovation
Profit Speed
Competing Values
Research continues to build evidence that we are social and thrive in community. We often accomplish more together than alone, and these tenets are inherently intertwined in the workplace
Source: McKinsey Organizational Health Index
Source: Deloitte 2020 Survey

Floorplate Considerations
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Culture & Innovation
Preserving your unique culture to empower your workforce and leverage your space is essential.
Health & Wellbeing
Supporting people’s physical and psychological health together with sustainability builds confidence and enhances performances.
Design Implications
Creating the right working environment involves understanding what people need to support their mind's best work.
Research/Knowledge
Deep insights in human and workplace behaviors that provide the proof on what we need to get work done.
Culture Map
Highlight a section below to identify it's place on the map. Click on the map to see more information.
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Work Fluidly: Work from Anywhere (Haworth Spark)
The Rise of Collaborative Innovation
Design Implications
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Informal (e.g., soft and low seating), moderately sized.
High adjustability.
Focus on social interaction.
Health & Wellbeing
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Great importance on personalization opportunities around their environment.
High importance of adjacencies to co-workers.
High visitor friendliness.
Finding common interests.
Chatting about personal experiences.
Connecting people with opportunities.
Sharing humor.
Enjoying discussion topics that are wide and varied.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
Collaborate group spaces are most used frequently for informal meetings or get-togethers.
Culture – Collaborate (Connect)
Work Lounge
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Design Implications
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Formal (e.g., conference table), moderately sized or large.
Medium / high enclosure that is more fixed
Non-interruptible, closed.
Highly functional for efficient meetings.
Health & Wellbeing
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Centralized group spaces for improved efficiencies and maximizing RE.
Easier, more intuitive / efficient wayfinding.
Predictable spaces that support how groups organize information and projects.
Persuasively sharing information.
Getting an idea across.
Lecturing on a particular subject.
Keeping attention and building enthusiasm.
Conveying information to large numbers of individuals.
Giving and gathering information.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
In a Control culture, information may be most often delivered in a scheduled meeting or formal presentation.
Culture – Control (Inform)
Conference Space
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
LinkedIn’s Pilot Workspaces
How Tension and Conflict Can Inspire Innovation
Design Implications
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Both informal (e.g., soft and low seating) and formal (e.g., conference table), moderately sized.
Low / medium enclosure that is more flexible.
Highly functional for effective meetings.
Health & Wellbeing
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High interruptibility / accessibility for effective information exchange.
Adjacencies to co-workers should be based on efficiency.
Abundant opportunities to display appropriate status.
Keeping people accountable.
Improving productivity.
Successfully achieving milestones.
Quickly overcoming roadblocks.
Developing and keeping schedules.
Driving to decisions.
Delivering results.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
Compete spaces must support workers as they drive to complete tasks quickly.
Culture – Compete (Do)
Tech Zone
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Social Spaces
Rethinking the Role of Space (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Informal (e.g., soft and low seating), moderately sized.
High adjustability.
Focus on social interaction.
Health & Wellbeing
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Great importance on personalization opportunities around their environment.
High importance of adjacencies to co-workers.
High visitor friendliness.
Finding common interests.
Chatting about personal experiences.
Connecting people with opportunities.
Sharing humor.
Enjoying discussion topics that are wide and varied.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
Collaborate group spaces are most used frequently for informal meetings or get-togethers.
Culture – Collaborate (Connect)
Flexible Meeting Spaces
Research/Knowledge
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LinkedIn’s Pilot Workspaces
Space That Move with People & Work (Haworth Spark)
How Tension and Conflict Can Inspire Innovation
Design Implications
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Informal (e.g., soft and low seating), smaller in size.
Close-proximity of group space to individual work areas.
High opportunity for displayed thinking that is related to innovation.
Health & Wellbeing
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"Buzz," if moderate, can be appropriate as ambient noise.
Opportunities for personalization that support display of "inspirational" material.
Brainstorming.
Taking risks.
Developing broad strategies.
Starting new experiments.
Looking for patterns in information.
Generating different ideas.
Talking about future possibilities.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
For Create cultures, key spaces should be designed for creative problem solving with long views to nature.
Culture – Create (Think)
Ideation Area
Research/Knowledge
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Out is the New In: Designing Workspaces that Foster Natural Connection (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Informal (e.g., soft and low seating), moderately sized, appropriate for outdoor use.
High adjustability.
Provide shade options for spontaneous weather and climate changes.
Health & Wellbeing
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Being outside has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
Outdoor spaces can increase cognitive function, attention skills, short-term memory, and creative problem solving.
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Brainstorming.
Generating different ideas.
Talking about future possibilities.
Finding common interests.
Chatting about personal experiences.
Connecting people with opportunities.
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Create
Collaborate
These cultures interact with one another for a variety of reasons:
Collaborate group spaces are most used frequently for informal meetings or get-togethers. For Create cultures, key spaces should be designed for creative problem solving with long views to nature.
Culture – Collaborate (Connect) & Create (Think)
Outdoor Space
Research/Knowledge
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9 Behaviors for Resilience and Happiness (Haworth Spark)
Why We Crave Social Spaces (Haworth Spark)
Why Social Spaces Will Always Be Important (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Informal (e.g., soft and low seating), moderately sized.
High adjustability.
Focus on social interaction.
Health & Wellbeing
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Great importance on personalization opportunities around their environment.
High importance of adjacencies to co-workers.
High visitor friendliness.
Finding common interests.
Chatting about personal experiences.
Connecting people with opportunities.
Sharing humor.
Enjoying discussion topics that are wide and varied.
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This culture interacts with one another for a variety of reasons:
Collaborate group spaces are most used frequently for informal meetings or get-togethers.
Culture – Collaborate (Connect)
Work Cafe
Research/Knowledge
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Can't Focus at Work? (Haworth Spark)
Acoustical Design: Room vs. Building (Haworth Spark)
The Natural Solution to Improving Employee Performance (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Support all workstyles.
All teams will need spaces for both focus and retreat.
Vary light levels to support more private work setting.
Health & Wellbeing
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Space support user wellbeing.
Retreat spaces let the mind rest and recharge.
Culture in organization determine effectives of these spaces.
Varity of spaces that support focus work verses retreat spaces.
Creating moods in spaces is critical to support various activities.
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The spaces function in these ways:
Individual focus spaces serve two primary functions, the first is additional spaces to workers focus needs. The second role supports the users need to rest and have a place of retreat.
Culture – Collaborate, Create, Compete & Control
Focus Spaces
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Acoustical Design: Room vs. Building (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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High Mobility for users.
Most users check out space for limited amount of time.
Reservation systems help facilitate this utilization.
Health & Wellbeing
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Quiet space helps support the person’s need to focus.
Spaces become a resource to support team mental needs.
Non-interruptible.
Low audio and visual disruption.
Focused sprint sessions help create flow state for users.
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Work processes may look like this:
Touchdown Offices allow for users of all culture groups to have the ability to focus and concentrate. These types of spaces provide a critical link to users that need to disconnect from technology and other teaming requirements to get focus work done.
Culture – Collaborate, Create, Compete & Control
Office/Touchdowns
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Empowered Leadership and People Improve ROI (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Highly adaptable Workstyles.
High degree of mobility both internally and externally.
Health & Wellbeing
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Team is energized by environmental ambient noise that creates “buzz” in the space.
Provide for quick face-to-face or virtual interactions to track performance.
Schedule time throughout the day to be more active, especially when working remotely or from home.
Highly dependent on external (market) information.
Constantly tracking performance.
Interruptible only for new information.
More informal for groups.
Aimed at efficiency and speed.
Utilize space types supporting performance.
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The Compete culture work processes may look like this:
Compete cultures seek short-term growth. They are results-driven, competitive and speed-oriented, unified by an emphasis on winning and reputation. This culture’s purpose is to generate profits and do so faster than competitors. Compete cultures are made up of workers who are deal-makers.
Culture – Compete
Individual Work – Compete
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
6 Simple Ways to Create a Culture of Innovation (Haworth Spark)
LinkedIn’s Pilot Workspaces
Design Implications
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Focus work is the primary task at the workspace for most of the group.
Interaction is scheduled and supported by formal and more enclosed group spaces.
Groups are more fixed and less mobile.
Health & Wellbeing
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Autonomy to work heads-down or to move to enclosed touchdowns.
Stress can be managed by teams following protocol and structure.
Meeting performance goals is critical for success.
Fixed and changed only to improve efficiency.
Non-interruptible.
Formalized for groups.
Utilize internally-generated information.
Conducted in spaces controlled by the organization.
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The Control culture work processes may look like this:
A Control culture is driven to improve efficiency and quality by doing things right. This culture is made up of problem solvers, engineers and professionals. To achieve their purpose, they put systems and structures in place to adhere to standards of the company or their industry.
Culture – Control
Individual Work – Control
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
6 Simple Ways to Create a Culture of Innovation (Haworth Spark)
LinkedIn’s Pilot Workspaces
Design Implications
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Workspaces adjacent to group space offer user control with embedding, height adjustability and insulation.
They support teams that need both focus and collaborative work.
Health & Wellbeing
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Group is inspired by Ideation and brainstorming activities.
Diversity of ideas is critical to finding the next best idea.
Inherently interruptible.
Equal parts concentration and collaboration.
Utilize both convergent and divergent cognitive activities.
Tend to be less formal.
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The Create culture work processes may look like this:
Create cultures seek breakthrough innovation. These organizations or groups are idea-oriented and embrace risk-taking to be on the leading edge. To do so, Create cultures are stocked with visionaries, entrepreneurs, artists and designers.
Culture – Create
Individual Work – Create
Research/Knowledge
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Aligning Organizational Culture & Collaboration Spaces (Haworth)
Creating Workspace for “We” and “Me” (Haworth Spark)
Designing for Inclusion (Haworth Spark)
Design Implications
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Working together facilitates work.
Generally less mobile but they have longer meetings.
Variety of space is important for various types of meeting needs.
Health & Wellbeing
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Connected professionally and personally to the group at large.
Often known as the group that knows everything about what is occurring in the organization.
Connected to larger sustainability efforts and global/community activities and charities.
High degree of information sharing.
Highly interruptible.
Visible and transparent.
Keep workers connected—physically and virtually.
Work activities in a variety of space types.
Tend to be less formal.
Intermingle functional groups.
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The Collaborate culture work processes may look like this:
Collaborate cultures tend to be open, friendly, and sharing. They are Relationship-oriented and value teamwork, participation and consensus. They seek long-term development. The members of a Collaborate culture often act as counselors and mentors while having a strong sense of belonging and team orientation.
Culture – Collaborate
Individual Work – Collaborate
Space
Work Cafe
Tech Zone
Conference Space
Work Lounge
Individual Work - Compete
Individual Work - Collaborate
Individual Work - Create
Individual Work - Control
Office/Touchdowns
Outdoor Space
Focus Spaces
Flexible Meeting Spaces
Ideation Area
do things that last
do new things
do things right
do things now
Collaborate
Create
Control
Compete
Key Spaces
Click image to enlarge
Collaborate
Café
Open Team Space
Lounge
Create
Project Space
Team Workspace
Retreat / Restore Lounge
Control
Individual Workspace
Meeting Room
Private Office
Compete
War Room
Touchdown
Community
Design Implications
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Collaborate cultures prefer spaces that allow workers to connect to each another socially. These cultures tend to be open and friendly, where people share a lot of themselves—driving cohesion and building morale for the organization.
Spaces that support group activities and communication allow this culture to stay connected—both physically and virtually.
Easy access to inviting comfortable spaces is key for Collaborate cultures, so that they can easily connect to share knowledge and build community. Group spaces that support interactions are highly desired, as most processes happen collaboratively.
Design Implications
Click image for more information
Collaborate
Create
Control
Compete
Collaborate
These teams reflect a high degree of information sharing—knowledge is key.
It is important in this culture to keep all workers connected—physically and virtually
—including providing technology for remote workers.
Teams are highly interruptible, visible, and transparent, so they prefer social spaces embedded in their team space for spontaneous interaction.
Design Implications
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Control
These teams tend to utilize internally generated information (charts, reports, etc.)
Their individual work and group work are consistently conducted adjacent to one another—efficiency is key.
Groups are more formal and are non-interruptible so acoustic performance is important.
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Design Implications
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Control cultures prefer spaces that allow them to focus on incremental process improvements while developing standardized procedures. Formal rules and policies hold the organization (and Control sub-cultures) together.
Focus work is the primary task at the workstation, as most group interaction is scheduled and supported by formal group spaces.
Designed to enhance concentration and minimize distractions, a private office may also be designated as a small conference room while the occupant is away.
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Visuals can be shown digitally or manually on a wall adjacent to where the team is working for direct visual connection. Group work is more formal and planned in enclosed meetings rooms with expected norms and rules.
Create
Technology plays an important role in tracking performance and gleaning external (market) information.
They will seek out space for concentration as needed but are interruptible as they make quick decisions that impact results.
Groups frequently hold informal stand-up meetings adjacent to their workspaces to quickly exchange information and receive updates.
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Design Implications
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Flexibility is key so Create cultures can quickly pivot and reconfigure as needed to support a new direction or initiative. Mobility is required as a project evolves, while the space provides ample vertical display opportunities for connecting concepts and ideas.
Create cultures also prefer to use both digital technology and analog tools (e.g., whiteboards for drawing and sketching) to develop new ideas. Team workspaces should be flexible enough to offer insulation from others to limit distractions while supporting heads-down work.
Opportunities for both individual respite and interactions with colleagues are important for Create cultures.
Visuals can be shown digitally or manually on a wall adjacent to where the team is working for direct visual connection. Group work is more formal and planned in enclosed meetings rooms with expected norms and rules.
Compete
Technology plays an important role in tracking performance and gleaning external (market) information.
They will seek out space for concentration as needed but are interruptible as they make quick decisions that impact results.
Groups frequently hold informal stand-up meetings adjacent to their workspaces to quickly exchange information and receive updates.
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Design Implications
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Compete cultures prefer spaces that allow them to quickly gather information with access to individuals (and tools). The fast-paced environment should provide the type of spaces to focus, collaborate, and strategize all at the same time. Unassigned spaces support employees who spend most of their time within their markets and value a place to touch down and reconnect.
This culture helps to drive market share, goal achievement, and profitability for the organization. Informal spaces for quick connection and sharing information are critical to the success of this organization.
Compete cultures also prefer spaces that function like war rooms, where opportunities can be quickly explored, action plans developed, and results tracked. War rooms support small teams engaged in dynamic activities dependent on external information.
Collaborate cultures prefer a neighborhood that provides access to each other in a safe and familiar place.
Control cultures prefer spaces that are efficient and well organized with the architecture.
Create cultures prefer spaces that provide opportunities for displayed thinking and separation from distractions.
Compete cultures prefer spaces that support quick conversations with others while working towards achieving their daily objectives.

We look forward to working with you
Thank You!
We know there are many factors to consider while choosing a partner.
At CTI Working Environments, we are uniquely positioned to explore and exceed these needs now and into the future.
© Haworth, Inc.
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Contact your local CTI Working Environments Team member to learn more.
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Case Studies
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LinkedIn
Project Name:
LinkedIn 845 Maude, 1101 Maude, New York
Contact:
Brett Hautop, VP of Workplace Experience
Project Summary:
Research Project, Utilization Study, Observation Study, Day In The Life Mapping, Team Behavioral Mapping, Workplace Mapping Workshop, New Product Exploration and Design
Read Full Case Study
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Project Name:
Ash Brokerage
Contact:
Tim Ash, CEO
Project Summary:
Analytics (CultureLENS, OfficeLENS, & WorkstyleLENS), Team Workshops, New Product Exploration and Design
Read Full Case Study
Ash Brokerage
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet
Watlow
Project Name:
Watlow
Contact:
Chris Gaffney, Director of Information Technology
Project Summary:
Analytics (CultureLENS, OfficeLENS, & WorkstyleLENS), Team Workshops, New Product Exploration and Design, Change Communications
Read Full Case Study
