Workplace “re-styling” to create meaningful relationships in the post-covid era. A case study in the Italian energy industry

The purpose of this paper is to deeply investigate how organizations are designing workplaces after the covid 19 pandemic. Based on workplace design theories we examine which innovative solutions have been employed to build meaningful workplace relationships. A single case-study analysis is carried out in an Italian company, Enel S.p.A., leader in the Italian energy industry who undertook substantial changes in workplace organizations. The findings are used to shed a light on the emergent organizational practices implemented by Italian companies in the post- covid era and, as a result, to extend the workplace design theories by developing a new context- related framework. The practical contribution of the research is to equip managers with the tools they need to create appropriate solutions aimed at enhancing and fostering the development of meaningful workplace relationships by reducing disconnections and insulation mechanisms.