Abstract
The concept of eudaemonia originates from neo-Aristotelian philosophy and is associated with human flourishing. Self-determination theory, a means to attain eudaemonia, is examined here as a foundational approach to drive Eudaemonic Design--a novel design strategy that aims to achieve holistic physical, mental, and social health, or eudaemonic well-being. This chapter advances Eudaemonic Design as an architectural and organizational approach to create healthful work environments that support employee and business flourishing. The authors argue that the importance of adopting Eudaemonic Design has grown in need and complexity as work is (re)shaped by the constraints and opportunities presented by the pandemic. By contrasting dominant pre-COVID-19 Work from Office expectations against the post-COVID-19 Work from Anywhere model, this chapter explores the application of Eudaemonic Design to deliver holistic workplace well-being, rather than single variable health and wellness alone, now and into the post-COVID-19 future of work.
TopThe Impact Of The Built Environment On Health And Wellness
Globally it has been estimated that 98% of people spend 90% of their lifetimes inside buildings (Allen & Macomber, 2020a; Roberts, 2016). Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of time spent indoors was already increasing (Klepeis et al., 2001), and it is expected to have increased further as physical and social distancing practices restricted many to their homes. Considering these trajectories and the impact of COVID-19 in particular, it is apparent that buildings can either help or hinder well-being by “[making] you sick or [keeping] you well” (Allen, 2020, p. 1). If buildings are designed to support health and well-being, they can prevent sickness and support occupants to be healthier and happier.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Workspace: The immediate working area (e.g., desk, chair, computer) of a worker, regardless of physical workplace; may include desk-space alone, a cubicle, or an enclosed office (compare to workplace).
Self-Determination Theory (SDT): A theory established by Richard Ryan and Edward Deci ( Ryan & Deci, 2000 ) that is based on empowerment and concepts of intrinsic motivation, centering around three cornerstones: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Exposome: A measure of all the exposures of an individual in their lifetime and how these relate to health; includes exposures before birth and environmental and occupational sources.
Autonomy: One of the three tenets of Self-Determination Theory; refers to the need to have a feeling of control in life, feel ownership of behavior, and maintain volition in actions.
Post-COVID-19: A term relating to countries or areas considered to be of minimal contagion risk and therefore no longer requiring mandatory personal protective equipment use or large-scale lockdowns; an era that is likely to overlap with COVID-19 eras of other countries and likely to be significantly shaped by the widespread uptake of COVID-19 vaccines.
Well-Being: A holistic balance of optimal physical, mental, and social health dimensions (compare to wellness).
Wellness: The quality or state of being in good health; the process of improving aspects of health to attain well-being (compare to well-being).
Worker: Anyone who performs paid or unpaid work in any capacity for an employer, business, or organization; synonymous with employee and may include contractors and subcontractors.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Anything used or worn to minimize risks to workers' health and safety, including face masks.
Working From Near Home (WfNH): A spatial model of work that has evolved into a variety of locations within local geographical proximity to the worker’s home, reducing the need for significant commuting; includes a company’s decentralized or satellite office; local café, public library, or park; or coworking space; also known as Work from Near Home.
Working From Anywhere (WfA): The idea that work can occur in any location, including any historical model; encompasses Work from Home, Work from Near Home, and Work from Office workplace models; also known as Work from Anywhere.
Health: The physical, mental, and social conditions of the body; being free of illness, disease, or injury (compare to well-being).
Competence: One of the three tenets of Self-Determination Theory; refers to the need to be able to do enjoyable activities, feel effective in taking action (ideally to the point of mastery), and produce good outcomes and desired results.
Relatedness: One of the three tenets of Self-Determination Theory; refers to the need to enjoy good social relations, promote effective relationships, and establish a sense of belonging.
Trello: A software tool that supports individual worker task organizing and collective team project management scheduling.
Eudaemonic Well-Being: A perspective on well-being that originated with Ryan and Deci’s (2001) AU105: The in-text citation "Ryan and Deci’s (2008)" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. take on eudaemonia and evolved into a combined subjective and objective interpretation considered in both narrow (self-realization) and broad (flourishing) terms; this paper recognizes the broad (flourishing) definition by Waterman (2013) AU106: The citation "Waterman (2013)" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. that represents a eudaemonia-driven perspective on flourishing physical, mental, and social health (compare to well-being).
Workplace Wellness: A concept relating to the ongoing improvement of workplace conditions to improve worker and thereby organizational health (compare to wellness).
Workplace: The comprehensive “office” environment (e.g., individual cubicle or conglomeration of workspaces); was traditionally defined to focus on the Work from Office model and associated “workplace”, but the definition has now been extended to include all Work from Anywhere model places where workers carry out their day-to-day work.
Miro: A software tool that enables online mind-mapping and a centralized means of team collaboration.
COVID-19 Era: The period commencing in early 2020, when COVID-19 was recognized as a global pandemic.
Eudaemonia: Originating from neo-Aristotelian philosophy, refers to flourishing health, happiness, and “living life in a full and deeply satisfying way” ( Deci & Ryan, 2008 AU104: The citation "Deci & Ryan, 2008" matches multiple references. Please add letters (e.g. "Smith 2000a"), or additional authors to the citation, to uniquely match references and citations. , p. 1). Alternate spelling is Eudaimonia or Eudemonia.
Pre-COVID-19: The period occurring before the COVID-19 era began in early 2020.
Working From Home (WfH): A spatial model of work in which the worker engages in work from their home; also known as Work from Home.
Zoom: A software tool that offers video-conferencing capabilities to remote workers.
Working From Office (WfO): A spatial model of work in which the worker attends a physical corporate workplace, often referred to as the office, to engage in work; also known as Work from Office.