From space to signal: How identity-driven workplaces are reshaping corporate real estate strategy
Abstract
This paper examines the evolving role of corporate real estate (CRE) strategy in an era of hybrid work, distributed teams and accelerating artificial intelligence (AI), where the workplace is no longer simply a container for work but a system through which organisations express identity, shape behaviour and influence performance. As AI automates routine work, the human contributions that remain, including judgment, collaboration, trust and identity, become more central, making the workplace’s role in shaping those contributions increasingly consequential. The paper introduces the concept of the identity-driven workplace, defined as one intentionally designed to reinforce an organisation’s shared understanding of purpose, values and ways of working, translating abstract identity into observable behaviour and lived experience. Drawing on the construct of Collective Organizational Identification (COI), a formative firm-level measure developed and validated in Coning,3 the paper argues that workplace strategy now sits at the intersection of identity, behaviour and execution. It outlines how CRE strategy can either reinforce or undermine organisational identity through environmental signals, leadership rituals and behavioural design, and proposes a shift from utilisation-based metrics toward behavioural and outcome-linked measurement. Across several industry scenarios, the paper illustrates how identity-driven workplace design supports cohesion, accountability and performance. The implications are practical and strategic: in an era where work is increasingly augmented by AI, identity is the reason people show up, and the workplace is one of the few enterprise-wide systems through which organisations can shape that identity at scale. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Dr Yasmeen J. Coning is a globally recognised leader and scholar in business transformation and organisational behaviour. As Executive Vice Chairman of Newmark Consulting Group, she helps companies to solve complex business challenges by uniting behavioural science, brand and business strategy, and advanced statistics to drive sustainable growth and performance. Dr Coning brings more than 25 years of global experience advising Fortune 500 leaders across industries including finance, technology, healthcare, consumer goods and media. She has guided multinational corporations through initial public offerings, merger and aquistion events, and large-scale transformations, applying evidence-based methods to strengthen culture and alignment. Previously, she served as Global Principal at Ogilvy Consulting, leading the Center of Excellence for Organizational Behavior & Design. Dr Coning is also Founder and Chairman of the Board of EMBER,1 the research platform that introduced Collective Organizational Identification (COI),2 a proprietary measurement system that redefines how organisations align people, purpose, workplace and performance. Recognised as the next major advancement beyond traditional employee engagement models, COI links workforce identification to measurable brand, financial and business outcomes. Dr Coning maintains postdoctoral status with Pepperdine University, where she continues to advance the science of business. She holds a BA from Boston University, an MS from Columbia University and an MBA and Doctorate in Business from Pepperdine. She is a lifetime inductee of Beta Gamma Sigma, the highest academic honour for business scholarship, earned by less than 10 per cent of doctoral graduates globally. Dr Coning is the primary author of this paper, which builds on her doctoral research at Pepperdine on Collective Organizational Identification and its role in shaping business performance.
Elizabeth Hart serves as President of Leasing for North America at Newmark, overseeing the company’s leasing business across the US and Canada. A member of Newmark’s Executive Committee, Hart plays a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth strategy by connecting talent, technology and client-centric solutions to deliver market-leading outcomes. Since assuming the role in 2023, Hart has helped position Newmark as a leading voice in a rapidly transforming commercial real estate landscape. She has focused on accelerating leasing performance through cross-platform collaboration, targeted recruitment of top industry talent and the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to support advisors and clients. Under this strategic direction, Newmark’s leasing business has recorded double-digit growth, strengthened its competitive positioning in key US markets and expanded its market share both domestically and globally. A recognised innovator, Hart works closely with Newmark’s Chief Information Officer to harness data and AI, identifying solutions that enhance research, marketing and transaction execution. Her 20 years’ experience advising technology firms, from early-stage innovators to Fortune 500 companies, gives her a unique vantage point on how occupiers are reshaping real estate decisions in the age of AI. She is a frequent commentator on market and macroeconomic trends, appearing on Bloomberg, Fox Business and in The Wall Street Journal. Before assuming her current leadership role, Hart built a distinguished career as one of the top leasing professionals in the US, completing more than 35m square feet of transactions valued at over $4.2bn. Hart holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley.
