In search of bridging knowledge between disciplines : about spatial solutions to environmental satisfaction in knowledge work

Abstract

<div lang="en" class="abs"><p class="abs_header">Abstract</p><p>The purpose of this conceptual paper is to discuss our interdisciplinary knowledge production process, which seeks ways to bridge knowledge between disciplines to produce more coherent knowledge about the impact of spatial solutions on environmental satisfaction. The workplace intervention study on work environmental satisfaction and well-being brought up novel needs to broaden interdisciplinary knowledge production to avoid a fragmentation of knowledge. We are a group of researchers working with intervention-based research aiming to produce interdisciplinary knowledge to better understand the impact of spatial solutions on work environmental satisfaction and well-being. Our expertise extends from the knowledge of work and organisational psychology, environmental psychology and psychophysiology to architectural design and human-computer interaction. A spatial intervention built for running company premises provided the framework for reflecting all the research activities conducted before and during the design intervention. While using a broad variety of quantitative and qualitative methods, we found out the need to advance our understanding of the interdisciplinary knowledge production mechanisms to do our share of preventing a fragmentation of knowledge. This conceptual paper reports our remarks of the interdisciplinary knowledge production in the context of an intervention-based research project. We see value in reporting the recognized needs for seeking convergence between methods and concepts. In our temporary research project, we recognised the possibilities to bring each other’s disciplines closer together and to customise common methods and broaden meanings of used concepts together with the relevant stakeholders. Discussing the bridging knowledge production process is, as such, valuable, making visible the variety of boundaries in between disciplines and approaches which are overshadowed when reporting the narrow field-specific outcomes.</p></div>