Place Attachment Theory

This chapter explores current thinking about place attachment in the workplace. Place attachment describes the emotional bond between person and place. In the field of environmental psychology, place attachment has been identified as a significant predictor of an individual’s decision to act in a physical environment. However, the construct of place attachment has received scant attention in extant management literature. However, organisations are often forced to modify their places of work and relocate employees in response to new business strategies. The impact of these changes on people and work are rarely considered. People exhibit varied responses to such changes, with drastic changes requiring careful adjustments to address ‘emotional’ transitions. Can place attachment provide a useful concept for guiding workplace decisions? This chapter seeks to expose the gaps in our understanding of ‘attachment’ as a phenomenon. It recognises possible overlaps in environmental psychology and change management literature, as well as gaps between them, and considers how both fields can contribute to understand the workplace and the workspace.