ent or conference rooms through their intranet when visiting other offices in different parts of the world. “If I’m a resident consultant in Chicago and I’m going to New York for the day, I’ll have the opportunity to request a reservation in the New York office where I’m going that day, “ says Mike Hamel. Such a system though, must be implemented from the top right down to the bottom. If those who are hotelling see that others like senior partners have their own desks and offices then they might view themselves as inferior. This can demoralize an employee considerably and affect ones work productivity. Management should be more inclined to accept such a system and reap the benefits it has to offer rather than the minimal negative impacts. Besides, senior partners spend the least amount of time in the office. A space utilization survey showed that senior staff spent less than 25 percent of their time in the office. With a top-down approach, employees are more likely to accept such a system because they would see that management is giving up more than they are. Having a permanent desk or office is a status symbol. Employees may see it as a step higher within the hierarchy as well as job security. Permanent desk seating suggests that an employee is permanent within the firm. A person who is shuffled from desk to desk may envision that their time with the company will only last as long as there is work. If work is slow then they may think that they are the ones to be let go. Management must communicate that such a system is not implemented to do such a thing. Privacy is a big element that is lost when companies revert to a hotelling system. Many employees who were used to shutting the door if they did not want an employee to hear their conversation are unable to talk with someone privately without having anyone hear them. Management, for the most part are the ones who are subject to sacri...
