  In many work environments, serendipitous interactions between members of
different groups may lead to enhanced productivity, collaboration and knowledge
dissemination. Two factors that may have an influence on such interactions are
cultural differences between individuals in highly multicultural workplaces,
and the layout and physical spaces of the workplace itself. In this work, we
investigate how these two factors may facilitate or hinder inter-group
interactions in the workplace. We analyze traces collected using wearable
electronic badges to capture face-to-face interactions and mobility patterns of
employees in a research laboratory in the UK. We observe that those who
interact with people of different roles tend to come from collectivist cultures
that value relationships and where people tend to be comfortable with social
hierarchies, and that some locations in particular are more likely to host
serendipitous interactions, knowledge that could be used by organizations to
enhance communication and productivity.
