Kano model

At this point, once identified that CWS could contribute to solve teleworking associated issues, it makes sense to discuss the findings bearing the Kano model in mind. The Kano model (Kano et al., 1984) has been wildly employed in service management for service development. It assesses

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customer requirements in terms of quality for customer satisfaction. Kano classifies customer demands into five categories according to quality attributes and performance:

1. One-dimensional quality. Customer satisfaction is proportional to product or service performance. These attributes result in satisfaction when fulfilled and dissatisfaction when not.

2. Attractive quality. Attributes that are neither required nor expected by the customers. If present, they bring higher satisfaction. However, if they are not a cause of dissatisfaction if absent.

3. Must-be quality. Requirements that are expected by customers that do not bring satisfaction if present, as they are taken for granted. However, if the product or service lacks in these attributes, customer dissatisfaction is high.

4. Indifferent quality. Requirements that do not have any effect on customer satisfaction.

5. Reverse quality. Attributes that if fully fulfilled might bring dissatisfaction. This category makes reference to the fact that not all users have the same preferences and thus, the effect on customer satisfaction may differ.

For the purpose of this study, it is considered adequate not to study indifferent quality attributes as the idea is to provide recommendations to CWS about which are the atributtes potential users could value and their implications in terms of employee work-life balance, effectiveness/productivity, and resources and workspace. The most relevant attributes that were found during the course of this study are explained below and summarized in Table 15.

Table 15. Kano model quality attributes for CWS

Quality attributes Work-life interference Effectiveness/productivity Resources and workspace One-dimensional Social interactions Quality of the equipment Ergonomics of the

workspace Attractive Learning, synergies and job

opportunities

Additional services enabling productivity (e.g., chauffeur)

Additional services (e.g., A3 printing or bookbinding) Must-be Disconnection Space free of distractions Plugs and COVID-19 health

measures

Reverse Distance Assisting support Decoration

Source: Self-devised with Stata

Concerning employee work-life interference, the disconnection that CWS will provide to its users is considered to be the main aspect by which employees would decide to use these spaces. Therefore, it is considered as a must-be attribute, that is, if employees do not improve their work-life balance as a result of using this third space, they will not be satisfied. Social interactions would be the one-dimensional attribute of CWS, considering they contribute to breaking with the monotony associated with working from home. If absent, users would feel the same as working from home

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and, if present, networking and new opportunities arise. This leads us to the attractive attribute that CWS offer; learning, synergies and job opportunities. Finally, it is important to consider that although employees value the fact of switching spaces to better separate personal life than professional life, commuting to a CWS should not imply too much time. In case it does, the potential benefits must not outweigh the drawbacks anymore as it is a reverse attribute. Therefore, CWS should look for users that live in the same neighborhood.

Considering effectiveness and productivity, what users are looking for when deciding to work from a CWS is a space free of distractions where they can find concentration. This is why a space design ensuring different users do not disturb each other is a must-be for employees deciding to use a CWS. Also, the fact that users contribute to this environment free of distractions as could be the use of headphones when in calls. It is considered a must-be quality attribute as it is assumed people will act this way, and if they did not, this would truly impact satisfaction negatively. The main non-dimensional attribute is the equipment the CWS has to offer; the better quality, the more satisfied users will be. All the additional services that users would not expect from a CWS and that would contribute in enhancing their productivity are considered to fit into the category of attractive attributes, as it could be, for instance, a chauffeur service to pick up visitors CWS users may have invited for a meeting. It is important to pay attention to what attributes could result in having the reverse effect if too much present, and in the case of CWS, assisting support could be one of them.

While assisting support could provide help to CWS users, it may also disturb them in some occasions.

Finally, for what regard to resources and workspace, the presence of accessible plugs is a must-be attribute. In times of COVID-19, hand sanitizer and adequate hygienic conditions are also considered a must to avoid contributing to the spread of the virus. Next, the more ergonomic the equipment, the better users will feel in a CWS. Thus, it is considered to be a one-dimensional attribute, just as the quality of the equipment in terms of the effectiveness and productivity factor.

Also in line with the previous factor, all additional services that users would not expect from a CWS in terms of resources would fit into the category of attractive attributes. This depends on the requirements of each employee and his/her job nature, but A3 printing or bookbinding would be two examples. Finally, as this thesis has highlighted in several occasions, the decoration and inspiration of the workspace is of critical importance for CWS to enhance creativity, and substantially one of the most valued aspects of these spaces. However, it must be noted that a too heavy decoration could leave behind functionality and create the adverse effect on users, distracting them. This is why it has to be considered as a reverse attribute.

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There is big part of customer satisfaction that depends on the user’s perception. However, CWS can focus on the presented points in order to understand what is assumed they would offer, what is important for potential users, what is attractive and what could have a positive effect on customer satisfaction but when crossed a line, could have the complete opposite effect.

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