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MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

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Deploying resources<br />

The problem with Mabledon Place was that, although it was<br />

originally designed as an open plan office, by the time Woolwich<br />

and Banstead staff moved in, it was not really an open plan<br />

office. We were squeezing open plan in there and the open plan<br />

was poor open plan rather than well designed open plan and I<br />

think we had the consequence of poorly designed offices.<br />

Which I am not blaming anybody for, that was the nature of the<br />

building by that stage, whereas if we had had purpose-built open<br />

plan such as now exists, you have probably not seen it, in<br />

Nottingham and to an extent in Manchester (Interviewee A)<br />

Although from another regional office, this optimism is not entirely<br />

shared:-<br />

S chose that (open plan) for them when they came into this<br />

building. It is controversial and a lot of people, I think, would still<br />

like offices but that has never been negotiable. It does cause a<br />

bit of embarrassment when I have got, like, my palatial<br />

surroundings here, you know, and I do open this up as a<br />

meeting room for people and I have noticed that the team<br />

leaders have now all got private offices, within the teams.<br />

(Interviewee O)<br />

Belief in the importance of physical space to the union has been<br />

translated into a strategy for the future, in the event that a decision is<br />

taken to refurbish the head office and move back in:-<br />

But the beauty of moving out will change all the working<br />

relationships within the head office. We will get the change that<br />

we want and we will do it in two ways. As we move out, there<br />

are lots of things that we are not taking. We are not taking stuff<br />

from the basement but we will actually put people in positions in<br />

work groups where we want them as we move out so that we<br />

can bring them back here in different formats. And it may be<br />

completely different formats on the floors because they will be<br />

open plan again, for everybody (apart from me!). So we are<br />

looking at different ways in which we can use the building,<br />

improving the conference facilities, perhaps pulling back down<br />

and getting very modern conferencing facilities put in. Actually<br />

using a necessity to revamp this building as a way of changing<br />

the culture within head office. It might change working<br />

relationships and hopefully with the regions as well. (Interviewee<br />

C)<br />

Physical space and physical structure, therefore, is perceived by<br />

UNISON managers as having demonstrable importance in their<br />

managerial activities, but perhaps not entirely in ways that were<br />

anticipated. It has had a significant impact on the development of the<br />

new union since it was formed 10 years ago.<br />

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