Mary Kaaria
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Postgraduate Research Student
Areas of interest
Workplaces, social practices, built environment.
Research centres and groups
Organisation, people and technology research group
Research projects
The influence of changing work practices on the office setup
New ways of working enabled by the advancement of technology have brought to question the relevance of the office and the suitability of its setup for emerging work practices. Where and when office work is carried out is now not fixed and office work practices are constantly changing. Therefore, there is a need to interrogate what is going on in the office and the rearrangements during the accomplishment of work.
The project aims to examine how office work practises shape and are shaped by the office environment. The research considers office work as part of the office workers' everyday life and draws from office workers' experiences. By focusing on what office workers do in the accomplishment of work and the rearrangements that take place in the setup in which work is accomplished, the research will shed light on the emerging considerations that need to be made in future office designs.
Background
Mary earned a Master of Arts (Valuation and Property Management) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Land Economics from University of Nairobi (Kenya). Additionally, she holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Facilities Management from College of Estate Management. Mary is a Chartered Facilities Management Surveyor holding professional membership with Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Mary’s professional experience spans both private and public sectors, her current role being Manager - Administration & Property at Kenya Power. Previously, she served as Chief Administration Officer at Kenya Electricity Generating Company, as Facilities Manager at NIC Bank and held various roles at Co-operative Bank of Kenya.
Mary’s expertise lies in facilities management and has a keen interest in workplace solutions and operations of environments conducive to productive work. This drives her research pursuits in work setups. She actively mentors young graduates and supports professionals aiming to advance their careers in the built environment.