Officecentered

Officecentered is an adjective describing a workplace philosophy, policy, or design that places the physical office at the center of work activities. In an officecentered model, routines, resources, and governance are structured to maximize on-site presence, with an emphasis on in-person collaboration, structured supervision, and centralized services.

Usage in organizational design: Officecentered strategies may prioritize centrally located facilities, core hours in the office, and teams that coordinate through the headquarters. This approach is often contrasted with distributed or hybrid models that distribute work across locations and time zones.

Origins and discourse: The term appears in contemporary management literature to describe a stance that connects culture, mentorship, security, and rapid decision-making with in-office work. It is used to analyze the trade-offs between control and flexibility in workplace policies.

Criticism and alternatives: Critics contend that officecentered policies can reduce employee autonomy, increase commuting costs, and limit talent pools; proponents argue that they strengthen culture and knowledge transfer. Many organizations adopt hybrid forms that preserve some officecentered practices while enabling remote work.

Related concepts include remote work, hybrid work, and distributed teams.