WORKSPACE CULTURE

by the same author

THE PERFECT CRIME OR AN HONEST THIEF

EXPERIENCE NOTHING - A DISSERTATION ON DISCONNECTION

AN INVESTIGATIONOF

WORKSPACE CULTURE

BY

RUTH M. SUMNER, I.D.D.N.Student of the Victoria University School of Achitecture and Design,

Wellington, New Zealand.

SUM OF ALL PARTS LIMITEDWELLINGTON

First published by Sum of all Parts 2010This edition published by Sum of all Parts 2010

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ISBN: 300-0-620-82

“There are over half a million microbes per square inch of human skin”

(Ben-Barek, I. 2009)

“Ideas and Products and messages and behav-iours spread just like viruses do.”

(Gladwell, 2000. P. 7)

CONTENTS.______

PageDefinition of Workspace Culture - - - - - - - - 9

Viral Branding - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10

Cultural Probes - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12

Workspace culture maps - - - - - - - - - - - 13

Mouse Experiment - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

The Bacterial hotspots - - - - - - - - - - - 17

Workspace survey - - - - - - - - - - - - 18

The Microbial Aura - - - - - - - - - - - - 19

Workspace Culture Cultivation - - - - - - - - - 20

Workspace Culture Dishes - - - - - - - - - - 21

Workspace culture images - - - - - - - - - - 22

Oligodynamic effect - - - - - - - - - - - - 27

Face masks - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28

Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 29

References - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31

DEFINITION OF WORKSPACE CULTURE

The following study is an intimate microscopic view of the cultures that labour and breed within the workplace.

We are composed of 2-3 Kg’s of bacteria, and that’s not just in the gut, the majority of germs habitat our palms and our forefingers. (ref: fig. 12) This ‘unseen layer’ is a layer full of life, which serves as a membrane for exchange.

The human body is continually, invisibly, expanding into space. (ref: fig. 10) This micro/macro ‘aura’ is the immediate point of contact between contemporaries. Everywhere we go, we are shedding these invisible ‘workers’, leaving tiny parts of ourselves on every surface we come in contact with.

This study is about cultivating those microbes within the workplace, which in turn, through their sharing capabilities and multi-lingual skills, can end up sharing unsolicited disease and illness.

The resultant conclusion is to look at whether it is the person whom needs protecting from the contaminated surfaces, or the surfaces that need protection from the contaminated people; Or whether there is any need for concern in the first place.

We started out as microbes, surely we can share our work-space with them?

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VIRAL BRANDING

“These three characteristics – one, contagiousness; two, the fact that little causes can have big effects; and

three, that change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment – are the same three principles that

define how measles moves through a grade-school class-

room or the flu attacks every winter. Of the three, the third

trait – the idea that epidemics can rise or fall in

one dramatic moment – is the most

important, because it is the principle that makes sense of the first two and that permits the greatest insight into why modern

change happens the way it does. The name given to that one

dramatic moment in an epidemic when every-

thing can change all at once is the Tipping Point.” (Gladwell, 2000. P. 9)

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THE

BIG

BRANDS

OF THE

BACTERIA

WORLD

Bacillus anthacis�B. Megaatherium sp.�

B. paratyphosus�B. subtilis�

B. subtilis spores�Clostridium tetani�

Corynebacterium diphtheria�Dysentery baccili�

Eberthella typhosa�Escherichia coli�

Leptospira�Micrococcus candidus�

Micrococcus sphaeroides�Mycobacterium tuberculosis�

Neisseria catarrhalis�Phytomonas tumefaciens�

Proteus vulgaris�Pseudomonas aeruginosa�Pseudomonas fluorescens�

Salmonella�S. enteritidis�

S. typhimurium�S. typhosa�

Sarcina lutea�Serratia marcescens�Shigella dysenteriae�

Shigella paradysenteriae�Spirillum rubrum�

Staphylococcus albus�Staphylococcus aureus�

Streptococcus hemolyticus�Streptococcus viridans�

Vibrio cholerae�11

CULTURAL PROBE(S)

The Cultural Probe of “workspace cultures” is the very tool utilised in the harvesting of the cultures that grow within the workspace. (ref. p. 30) Each ‘probe’ is sterilised, and used to swab the point of contact a workers index finger (digitus secundus manus) has on the mouse. (ref. p. 16)The following images are documentation into mapping out the ‘workspace’ to accurately gather samples, and allow a reference point for the acquired (grown) data.

Fig. 1 Cultural probes/swabs

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Fig. 3, workspace mapping investigation

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Fig. 2, workspace ‘hotspots’ mapping

WORKSPACE CULTURE MAPS I

Fig. 5, workspace culture growth map

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Fig. 4, workspace culture cultivation map

WORKSPACE CULTURE MAPS II

Figs. 6&7, mouse tampering experiment.

An experiment was undertaken where-by the computer mice in the workplace were all deliberately placed to the left of the keyboards, (ref: fig.6) after 36 hours anouther round of photo-graphs were taken (ref: fig.7) showing that every mouse had been moved to the right of the keyboard.Hence there is an interaction between worker and mouse which involves direct contact/manipulation. A closer analysis of the mouse was undertaken (ref: fig’s 8&9, mouse dissections)A survey was also implimented (ref: fig. 11) to gain further insight into workers habits, preferences, and immune compe-tence.

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MOUSE EXPERIMENT

Fig. 9. Apple Computer mouse dissection. (Pomum Computer Muris perseco)

Fig. 8. Dell Computer mouse dissection. (Dell Computer Muris perseco)

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Fig. 10. The back of your knee. Your forearm. The sole of your foot. Your index finger and palm; the bacterial ‘hotspots’ of the human body.

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THE BACTERIAL HOTSPOTS

Fig. 11. Completed Surveys18

Ones personal space of what we physically percieve it as being, is much larger due to the ‘bacterial sphere’ which surrounds each individual. Human bodies have ten times more bacterial cells than human cells, and one hundred times more bacterial genes than human genes playing a role in you or on you all of your life.

Fig. 12. Bacterial Breeding grounds.

Fig. 13. Bacterial sphere representation.

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WORKSPACE CULTURE CULTIVATION

Fig. 14, steps in undertaking cultivation of workplace cultures.

To obtain acurate workplace culture samples, a methodi-cal scientific approach was carried forth.The swab samples were taken from the point of contact of the right index finger on the computer mouse. (ref. fig. 15)

Fig. 15, Mouse Sample area

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WORKSPACE CULTURE DISHES

Fig. 16, workplace culture dishes

Using the Workspace Culture Cultivation Map, (ref: fig. 4) systematically labeled cultural probes, (ref. fig. 1) in addition to teaming them up with the corresponding petri dish, (ref. fig. 16) The dishes were left to ‘work’ for 7 consecutive days, and the resulting cultures were captured over pages 22-26.

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Fig. 17, workplace culture dish 1a

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Fig. 18, workplace culture dish 2a

Fig. 19, workplace culture dish 2b

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Fig. 20, workplace culture dish 3

Fig. 21, workplace culture dish 4b

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Fig. 22, workplace culture dish 2c

Fig. 23, workplace culture dish 1b

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Fig. 24, workplace culture dish 12

Fig. 25, workplace culture dish 13

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OLIGODYNAMIC EFFECT

Fig. 26, Brass pins

The Oligodynamic effect is the toxic effect metal ions have on living cells, algae, molds, spores, fungus, virus, prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms. This antimicrobial effect is shown by ions of: mercury, silver, copper, iron, lead, zinc, bismuth, gold, aluminium and other metals. It takes several hours or more for the exposure to heavy metals to ultimately sanitise, or kill all of the bacteria on a surface.Eg. As per the bacterial hotspots (ref. fig. 12) many infections are spread by doorknobs. Brass doorknobs disinfect themselves in about eight hours, while stainless steel or aluminium doorknobs never do. Silver has traditionally been used in eating utensils, as they also self-sanitise due to the oligodynamic effect.Further investigation and experiments will be undertaken in Part two, whence the application of physical materials.

The default assumption for people from individualistic societies such as America when they see someone wearing a face mask is that the mask is there to protect the wearer from others, whereas in more collectivist societies such as Japan the opposite is true – the mask is there to protect others from you. Does a face mask actually work in cutting down the risk of infecting others? The mask works on a number of levels: the physical filter reduces the spread of germs – though this is never going to be 100%; more importantly it’s obvious physical presence sends a signal to other people that you are sick and that, if the cost of them becoming infected is extreme (pregnant spouses, upcoming wedding, …) they should steer clear; your physical presence says ‘despite being sick, I’m here, you’re that imp-ortant’; and depending on the context can also suggest ‘I’m sick, I actually don’t care whether I infect other people, because ob-viously I’m here’. In cultures where masks are not common – most of this goes unsaid.As a Danish colleague pointed out – if you’re that sick don’t come into work, but of course sickness is a matter of degrees. In many Japanese offices the pressure to be seen to be around is great – the collective desire for social cohesion, to maintain rank can out trump more practical concerns such as whether there is ‘hands-on work’ to be done – if you’re sick you’ll come into work and try to avoid infecting others. My mask motivation: was over the worst and wanted to minimise any risk of infect-ing colleagues that can ill-afford to be likewise infected.How might this social positioning play out in our bacterially rich future perfect? As our ability to understand and manipulate bodily bacteria evolves it might be the newly terraformed blotches on the palm of your hand, the tint of eyes/contact lenses or the tips of your ears that indicate to others the state of your health. Should you decide to share it. Should you have the choice. -(Chipchase, J. (2010). The future perfect.)

FACE MASKS - Who are you protecting?

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CONCLUSION-Where to from here?

The resolution is to either: A. Protect the user from the bacteria on the product, ie. gloves administered. (ref: fig. 28)

B. Protect the product from the bacteria from the users ie. material quality. (ref. p. 27; Oligodynamic effect)

C. Killing all bacteria with chemicals is not an option due to the fashion in which bacteria breed.

To apply the former research of workspace culture into a physi-cal realm, would require a delicate blend.Although as stated on page 19, we are composed of 90-99% bacteria, the key is to not obliterate them with chemicals and wear anti-microbial suits, whenever one leaves the sterile sanc-tion of the home bubble environment. The trick is to continue on in our harmonious relationship.If the surface is what is contaminated with potentially harmful

Fig. 28, mouse or hand protection

bacteria, and we are the ones spread-ing these microbes from place to place, then instead of wearing gloves and carrying around bottles of sani-tiser solution; The surfaces them-selves are self-sanitising as per the oligodynamic effect. (ref: p. 27)In the role of identity, furthur investi-gation into culture identity is required to obtain sufficient counter-actions towards the specific strains.

Fig. 29, workplace culture dish 4a

REFERENCES

Bakalar, N. (2003). Where the Germs are -A scientific safari. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Basler, B. (2009). How bacteria talk. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com on: 12 June 2010

Clark, H. (1895). An Elementary text-book of anatomy. London: Blackie & Son Limited.

Gladwell, M. (2000). The Tipping Point. U.S.A: Little, Brown and Company.

Idan, B. (2009). The Invisible Kingdom. New York: Basic Books.

Karlen, A. (2000). Biography of a Germ. NewYork: Anchor Books.

Kennedy, B & Coakley, D (Eds). (1992). The anatomy lesson: Art and medicine. Ireland: The national Gallery of Ireland.

Marx, J. (Ed) (1989). A Revolution in Biotechnology. Cambridge: ICSU Press.

Websites:

http://www.biocouture.co.uk/http://janchipchase.com/thefutureperfecthttp://www.livescience.com/technology/051027_cellborg_sensor.htmlhttp://www.zdnet.com/news/dirty-little-secrets-of-the-keyboard-revealed/277938http://hannahholmes.net/blog/?p=1240http://www.molbio.princeton.edu/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=27

Images:All images Artists own, sans fig. 28, retrieved from http://janchipchase.com

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