Collaborative Spaces at Work

5 Language in collaborative spaces

Advantages and barriers

Ludovica Leone, Cristina Guardiano, Monica Alexandrina Irimia, Elisa Mattarelli, and Fabrizio Montanari

Introduction

Collaborative spaces (CSs) are a landmark of contemporary work relations and contexts. CSs are intended to provide individuals with dynamic, barrier-free environments where professionals with different backgrounds can find a common ground for collaborative projects. Indeed, these spaces are characterized by a culture of openness and an ethos of exchange, which is aimed at supporting face-to-face interactions and communication (Capdevila, 2015; Oksanen & Ståhle, 2013; Schmidt & Brinks, 2017). However, because individuals attending a CS usually show different professional, ...