The First Laptop-Based Flexible Seating Office in Central Government Agencies
Casual Dress Instead of Suits... Remote Work Available as Needed
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Before advancing the digital transformation, the Ministry of Education is innovating the Digital Education Planning Office into a flexible seating system. Additionally, it is working on improving organizational culture by allowing directors, section chiefs, and staff to call each other by their names instead of ranks.
On the 21st, the Ministry of Education announced that it will create and officially start operating a flexible seating workspace for the Digital Education Planning Office at the Ministry of Education in the Government Sejong Complex, utilizing Onbook (work laptops).
This is the first time a flexible seating system based on laptops is implemented in a central government agency. Although the Public Procurement Service introduced a flexible seating system last year, desktop computers were used instead of laptops at that time.
From now on, employees will select their desired seats through a flexible seating reservation system located at the entrance of the bureau each day when they come to work, and will perform their tasks using work laptops installed at each seat.
Internet-based resource sharing (cloud) will be used so that work information processed until the previous day can be accessed from any seat.
Also, the Ministry of Education redesigned spare spaces into multipurpose rooms and open meeting areas to foster openness and sharing among employees, and installed folding partitions between meeting rooms and directors’ offices to improve space efficiency.
Work styles will also change. In meetings, directors, section chiefs, and staff will address each other as 'Mr./Ms. ○○' instead of using ranks to encourage active and free communication on an equal footing.
Employees can work in casual attire instead of formal suits and may work from home as needed.
The Ministry will also promote a project participation system that moves away from department- or team-based work, where a project manager leads a task and employees who wish to participate form a team to solve problems and achieve results together.
Through these changes in the Digital Education Planning Office, the Ministry of Education expects to establish a horizontal organizational culture and foster the creation of creative ideas.
Shim Min-cheol, Director of the Digital Education Planning Office at the Ministry of Education, explained, "Changes in the workspace can lead to innovations in work methods," adding, "We will create an environment where diverse and creative ideas and outcomes can emerge in a horizontal atmosphere."
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