The dynamic response of coworking communities: unpacking resilience in times of disruption

Purpose This study aims to explore the mechanisms of community resilience and adaptability strategies manifested in coworking spaces (CWs) amidst the significant disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative topic modeling with qualitative open coding. Data were collected from 99,745 tweets and 1,255 media documents. The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm was used to identify key topics, which were further refined through open coding to uncover deeper insights into community resilience dynamics. Findings Our analysis revealed three dimensions connected to CWs’ community resilience: instrumental dimension (physical and virtual interactions), cognitive dimension (sense-making and understanding) and affective dimension (emotional connections) in reinforcing community resilience to CWs. Practical implications The findings offer valuable insights for CWs managers on the importance of integrating virtual practices with physical spaces and fostering emotional and cognitive connections among members to build resilient communities. Social implications This research highlights the importance of building supportive communities and collaborative environments, especially during global crises. This has implications for various community-centric business models beyond CWs. Originality/value This study offers a novel perspective on the multidimensional nature of resilience in collaborative environments by intertwining evolving practices and emotional dynamics. It provides a holistic understanding of community resilience in CWs and adaptability during crises, emphasizing the interplay among three dimensions: instrumental, cognitive and affective.