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Benefits of quiet workspaces in open-plan offices – Evidence from two office relocations
Abstract
The problems of open-plan offices are widely known. However, the factors explaining these effects have received less attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of office distractions in the emergence of other problems, and to examine the benefits of quiet workspaces in open-plan offices. Two organizations moved from private offices to open-plan offices that differed in the number and variety of quiet rooms. Survey data was gathered once before (N = 65 and 64) and once after the office relocation (N = 135 and 71). Perceived distractions increased in both organizations after the relocation. However, negative effects on environmental satisfaction, perceived collaboration and stress only emerged in the open-plan office where the number of quiet rooms was low. Increased distractions mediated the effects on collaboration and stress. Quiet workspaces, and the perceived ease of access to them, are associated with environmental perceptions, perceived collaboration and employee stress in open-plan offices.
... Moreover, it has been hypothesized that bigger working groups with more members worsen these issues (Oldham & Brass, 1979). Recent research supports the traditional sociotechnical view that an open-plan office design does not guarantee employee interactions (Haapakangas et al., 2018). Issues with open workplaces include annoying noise, loss of privacy, and increased distraction (Banbury & Berry, 2005;Haapakangas et al., 2018;Pierrette et al., 2015;Škerlavaj et al., 2018) These negative impacts cause employee stress and strain, resulting in less information exchange and cooperation. ...
... Recent research supports the traditional sociotechnical view that an open-plan office design does not guarantee employee interactions (Haapakangas et al., 2018). Issues with open workplaces include annoying noise, loss of privacy, and increased distraction (Banbury & Berry, 2005;Haapakangas et al., 2018;Pierrette et al., 2015;Škerlavaj et al., 2018) These negative impacts cause employee stress and strain, resulting in less information exchange and cooperation. Studies show that visual and aural privacy (Haapakangas et al., 2018), air quality, temperature (Danielsson & Bodin, 2009), and the quantity of workspace (Hongisto et al., 2016) must also be taken into account for an optimal open-plan office design. ...
... Issues with open workplaces include annoying noise, loss of privacy, and increased distraction (Banbury & Berry, 2005;Haapakangas et al., 2018;Pierrette et al., 2015;Škerlavaj et al., 2018) These negative impacts cause employee stress and strain, resulting in less information exchange and cooperation. Studies show that visual and aural privacy (Haapakangas et al., 2018), air quality, temperature (Danielsson & Bodin, 2009), and the quantity of workspace (Hongisto et al., 2016) must also be taken into account for an optimal open-plan office design. Unfortunately, despite decades of research on open-plan offices, their drawbacks have persisted in the study, and no attempt has been made to address the architectural deficiencies of open-plan offices. ...
The factors that can improve employee collaboration in their workplace are investigated differently. Studies from an architectural perspective confirm that the effects of office design on improving collaboration are limited to the type of office. However, these studies are contradictory because open-plan offices (OPO) and activity-based offices (ABO) encountered some shortcomings in advancing collaboration. This research has a broader perspective and analyzed the effect of the three categories of office design parameters on five types of interactive behavior among employees, including team structure, leadership, mutual support, situation monitoring, and communication to improve OPOs and ABOs. The participants were employees of open-plan and activity-based offices from Tehran city (Iran). Both kinds of offices received and completed an equal number of questionnaires. The data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA) to investigate the hypotheses. In open-plan offices, interactive employee behavior was influenced by environmental and psychological factors. However, in activity-based offices, interactive employee behavior was affected only by functional factors. In general, collaboration could be improved by changing the physical parameters of office design.
... How well their office environment supports these activities influences their view of the workplace. Generally, the functioning of office environments has been examined using general workspace satisfaction (Bodin Danielsson & Bodin, 2009;Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo, & Lahtinen, 2018;Kim & de Dear, 2012, 2013 or sometimes productivity (Haapakangas, Hallman, Mathiassen, & Jahncke, 2018). However, also other types of approaches exist. ...
... It is possible that true ABFOs with shared workstations, and the availability of different workspaces for different activities would perform better than the flex office in our dataset. For example, the number of quiet workspaces in open-plan offices has been linked to less negative outcomes on distractions, environmental satisfaction, and perceived collaboration, when relocating from private offices to open-plan offices (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al., 2018). ...
... The challenge with examining the needsupply fit is that the offices' environmental support should be estimated for many different activities, therefore, many estimations are required for a reliable examination. When examining general workspace satisfaction (Bodin Danielsson & Bodin, 2009;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al., 2018;Kim & de Dear, 2012, 2013, not all activities have to be estimated separately, however, when examining the perceived fit of office activities, all activity types must be estimated separately. In ABFOs, this has been done using repeated estimations several times during the day when performing different activities using versatile office spaces (Gerdenitsch et al., 2018;Hoendervanger et al., 2019b). ...
... Seddigh et al (2014) found that employees with a high need for concentration reported lower stress levels in cell and flexible offices than in all kinds of landscapes. The provision of quiet workspaces seems a key aspect in determining how ABW affects concentration (Brunia et al., 2016;Haapakangas, Hallman, Mathiassen, & Jahncke, 2018;Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo, Lahtinen, 2018;Seddigh et al., 2014). A field study objectively measuring cognitive performance confirmed that performance was better in more quiet areas of ABW (Jahncke & Hallman, 2020). ...
... Our results are similar to others finding main effects between the supply of WEs and employee outcomes such as job attitudes and vitality (Wohlers et al., 2019), productivity and wellbeing (Haapakangas, Hallman, Mathiassen, & Jahncke, 2018), cognitive stress (Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo, & Lahtinen, 2018;Seddigh et al., 2014), and performance on cognitively demanding tasks (Jahncke & Hallman, 2020). Other studies have shown that Task-Environment fit is related to performance (Soriano et al., 2020), less distraction, and improved interactions across teams (Gerdenitsch et al., 2018), though, unlike our present study, these are not sensitive to the direction of the misfit in their analyses. ...
... We believe the field of study of ABW would benefit from a clearer theoretical grounding (Hoendervanger et al., 2019), which is what we attempt here by testing P-E fit theory. P-E fit is often mentioned in connection to ABW (Gerdenitsch et al., 2018;Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo, & Lahtinen, 2018;Hoendervanger et al., 2019;Wohlers et al., 2019;Wohlers & Hertel, 2017), and on the face of it is a central idea of ABW, as the premise of the concept is to choose different environments based on the demands of the work task (thus "activity-based"; van Koetsveld & Kamperman, 2011). However, based on our results, it seems a congruence model is not the best for describing the relationship between access to workspaces and task needs for collaboration or concentration. ...
Task–Environment fit, a special case of Person–Environment fit, has been suggested as the central mechanism through which Activity-Based Working (ABW) Environments support productivity and employee wellbeing, here operationalized as team functioning and concentration troubles. We extend previous work in this space by testing the asymmetric effect (where deficient supply is worse than excess supply) usually assumed, with a new statistical approach—cubic polynomial regression—capable of such tests. The complex models gained only partial support and none for a strict congruence effect. Results are more in line with previous work on P–E fit showing that higher levels of needs met are more valuable, and with previous ABW work showing that the supply of suitable environments has the largest impact on outcomes.
... In addition to task-related reasons, other motives can also affect workspace choices (Appel-Meulenbroek, Groenen, and Janssen 2011;Hoendervanger et al. 2016;Kim et al. 2016). Furthermore, failures in office design can impede workspace switching if the number, availability, comfort, or usability of the workspaces do not meet their demand (Babapour Chafi, Harder, and Bodin Danielsson 2020;Babapour, Karlsson, and Osvalder 2018;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018;Kim et al. 2016). Difficulties finding a suitable workspace and the time spent setting up and clearing a workstation are common complaints and may discourage workspace switching (Babapour, Karlsson, and Osvalder 2018;Hoendervanger et al. 2016;Kim et al. 2016;van der Voordt 2004). ...
... These findings are in concordance with earlier observations that ABOs often fail to optimally support privacy and concentrative work (Engelen et al. 2019;Hoendervanger et al. 2022). Also in line with earlier accounts (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018;Hoendervanger et al. 2019Hoendervanger et al. , 2022Wohlers and Hertel 2017), the insufficient use of quiet workspaces may partly explain our findings. Such behaviour might reflect a discrepancy between work demands and the number and availability of suitable workspaces (Hoendervanger et al. 2022;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018), distance or difficult access to appropriate workspaces (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018), or personal preferences, such as sitting near colleagues (Hoendervanger et al. 2016). ...
... Also in line with earlier accounts (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018;Hoendervanger et al. 2019Hoendervanger et al. , 2022Wohlers and Hertel 2017), the insufficient use of quiet workspaces may partly explain our findings. Such behaviour might reflect a discrepancy between work demands and the number and availability of suitable workspaces (Hoendervanger et al. 2022;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018), distance or difficult access to appropriate workspaces (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018), or personal preferences, such as sitting near colleagues (Hoendervanger et al. 2016). In this case, the eight-floor building had only one quiet area, which may have weakened its usability (e.g. ...
Little is known about the factors that explain the differences in the ways that individuals use activity-based offices (ABOs). This study aimed to investigate whether person-related and situational factors are associated with self-reported use of workspaces and the perceived person-environment (P-E) fit in ABOs, independently of the job profile. Survey data were gathered in one organisation (N = 332) 7–11 months after an office re-design. Younger age, male gender, managerial position, and better work ability were associated with more frequent use of different workspaces. Workspace switching was perceived as more time-consuming by employees who worked at the office less, had a high workload, and were dissatisfied with ergonomics. All variables except gender were associated with the P-E fit. Person-related and situational factors appear relevant to workspace use and P-E fit, independently of job contents. Contextual, cultural, and office design differences should be considered when generalising these results.
Practitioner summary: This case study investigated individual differences in how activity-based offices are used. Being younger, male, a manager, or having good work ability were associated with using workspaces more actively. Person-related and situational factors appear relevant to how offices are used and perceived, in addition to job characteristics.
Abbreviations: ABO: activity-based office; P-E fit: person-environment fit; RQ: research question; SD: standard deviation; IN: interactive needs; CD: cognitive demands; OR: odds ratio; M: mean; ref.: reference category; CI: confidence interval; h: hour; PO: proportional odds
... To meet different user needs, activity-based office concepts have been developed, whereby open-plan offices with flexible workstations and multipurpose rooms are provided. Studies investigating this concept showed that users expect to withdraw and seek social interaction easily (Pejtersen et al., 2006;Tuzcuoglu et al., 2020;Wohlers et al., 2019), and easy access to various workspaces and smooth workspace switching to minimise time spent searching for a workplace (Haapakangas et al., 2018). Otherwise, user productivity and satisfaction can be negatively affected. ...
... Considering these advantages, users prefer to work independently and expect greater autonomy in choosing their workspace in office environments (Kim et al., 2016). Unsurprisingly, users expect to receive a good ICT solution to support their work tasks and flexibility in the office environments (Boivie, 2005;Gibson, 2003;Haapakangas et al., 2018). On the other hand, despite the possibilities of automated system technology, users still seem to prefer to have the ability to control their office environment by themselves. ...
... Regarding the interaction between users and their workplaces, the findings show that users still expect to control their working environments in smart offices, which appear to influence their satisfaction, aligning with other studies in other (non-smart) office types (Kwon et al., 2019;Lashina et al., 2019). Providing available workplaces can respond to different user needs while enhancing the interaction with their office environment, which is in line with the suggestion by other researchers for other (nonsmart) office types (Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2011;Babapour et al., 2018;De Been and Beijer, 2014;Haapakangas et al., 2018). The findings show the importance of social interaction in smart offices, which broadly support the work of other studies in other (nonsmart) office types (Danielsson et al., 2009;Haans et al., 2007;Haapakangas et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the meaning of smart office environments from a user perspective by investigating user preferences and expectations.
Design/methodology/approach
Eleven semi-structured interviews with the users after moving into a smart office building of a Dutch Municipality and an observation as complementary data were conducted. The data were analysed based on the grounded theory and thematic analysis, combining a reflexive approach to the literature review.
Findings
Two main themes were revealed addressing user expectations and preferences for smart office environments: “enhanced interaction” with the social and physical office environment and “sense-making” of the smart concept (or smartness). Within these themes, basic and smart office aspects were identified and classified based on their association with smart office concepts or technology.
Practical implications
The findings reveal the meaning of the smart office concepts from a user perspective by highlighting the importance of user experience on enhanced interaction and sense-making of the smart office concept, equipped with basic and smart aspects.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to qualitatively examine drivers underlying the meaning of smart office concepts from a user point of view. Organisations, environmental psychologists, designers and managers can use the findings of this study to develop guidelines for a successful smart office design.
... Spatial solutions in work environments can affect well-being and productivity, but the outcomes are also affected by many other factors, such as the organization itself, individual preferences and needs, work culture and management ( Van der Voordt, 2004;Bodin Danielsson, 2010;Riratanaphong and Van der Voordt, 2012;De Been and Beijer, 2014;Brunia et al., 2016;Budie et al., 2018;Palvalin, 2019). The influence of the work environment and new ways of working on individual and organizational performance have been researched in recent years by at least F 40,15/16 the following researchers: Brunia et al. (2016), Budie et al. (2018); Haapakangas et al. (2018aHaapakangas et al. ( , 2018b; Hoendervanger et al. (2018Hoendervanger et al. ( , 2019; Palvalin (2019); and Bergsten et al. (2021). Brunia et al. (2016) explored the effects of various physical, digital and social work environment factors on employee satisfaction and perceived productivity in different ABW environments. ...
... Budie et al. (2018) analyzed the impact of individual needs on employee satisfaction and organizational performance in various physical work environments. Haapakangas et al. (2018a) examined the physical work environment and the importance of quiet spaces in an open office and the diverse variables affecting organizational performance. Further, Haapakangas et al. (2018b) explored self-rated productivity and employee well-being in the ABW environment, considering the role of environmental perceptions and workspace use. ...
... Therefore, if these expectations regarding autonomy are not fulfilled, it may cause a negative association overall. Yet, another explanation for the negative association of office presence could be that the physical work environment might not be supportive of wellbeing and productivity if the spatial solution was originally designed mainly for mobile work and does not include the right amount of spaces for privacy and concentration (Van der Voordt, 2004;Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2011;Riratanaphong and Van der Voordt, 2012;De Been and Beijer, 2014;Brunia et al., 2016;Harris, 2016;Palvalin et al., 2017;Budie et al., 2018;Haapakangas et al., 2018aHaapakangas et al., , 2018bGroen et al., 2019;Hoendervanger et al., 2019;Palvalin, 2019). However, these assumptions need further scrutiny to investigate the causal relationships between different variables. ...
Purpose
Work environments are undergoing a transformation where organizations have various spatial solutions at their disposal. However, organizations may have challenges in making the right decisions in a work environment change, when the spatial solution is only one dimension of the work environment. The purpose of this paper is to approach this problem in a holistic way and explain the relationship between work environment changes and the development of organizational performance in the activity-based work (ABW) environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The results are based on an extensive quantitative survey involving 471 participants. The survey was theory driven and built on former literature. The participants were randomly collected from the largest cities in Finland, and the data were analyzed with a regression analysis.
Findings
The results showed that ABW environments require no more attention to the different work environment dimensions when compared to other office types, with the exception of the social work environment; the changes of which have a relatively strong relationship with the development of organizational well-being. In the ABW environment, a change in the physical work environment has a stronger relationship with the development of organizational productivity and a change in the social work environment has a stronger relationship with the development of organizational well-being than a change in the other work environment dimensions.
Originality/value
This study yields empirical evidence of the relationship of physical, digital and social work environment changes with the development of organizational performance in the ABW environment. The value of this paper is that it offers a simple but holistic research model to distinguish the outcomes between the different work environment dimensions so that relevant expertise is applied to take concrete and targeted action.
... Some examples of related topics that have been studied in recent years are multi-locational work, multi-space offices and the effects of digital tools and applications; all of which have the potential to both support cognitive functioning or, respectively, substantially disperse and consume it (see e.g. Bosch Sijtsema, Ruohomäki &Vartiainen, 2010; Boutellier, Ullman, Schreiber & Naef, 2008;Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo & Lahtinen, 2018;Moisala et al., 2016;Pashler, 1994). In present-day working life, many employees need support for learning skills such as cognitive load management and stress management (Sparks, Faragher & Cooper, 2001), and for using modern tools (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). ...
... Koroma, Hyrkkänen & Vartiainen, 2014). Other challenges posed by modern environments and tools may include adverse effects of multitasking on productivity and well-being (Moisala et al., 2016), inadequate work environments or tools for different types of tasks (Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo & Lahtinen, 2018;Koroma, Hyrkkänen & Vartiainen, 2014), lack of support or connection with colleagues (Koroma, Hyrkkänen & Vartiainen, 2014), or ineffective boundaries between work and rest (Vartiainen & Hyrkkänen, 2010;Zijlstra & Sonnentag, 2006). However, it is important to note that environments and tools alone do not determine the quality of activity; the social practices in how they are used play a crucial role (Hakkarainen, 2009). ...
... However, although it is not tied to a specific time and place as such, it is greatly influenced by a number of things in a given environment and tools (e.g. Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo & Lahtinen, 2018;Hutchins, 2001;Koroma, Hyrkkänen & Vartiainen, 2014;Moisala et al., 2016;Olson & Olson, 2000;Powell, Piccoli & Ives, 2004;Vartiainen & Hyrkkänen, 2010). Naturally, in the same way as the individual is not separate from the physical environment, the physical environment is not a separate entity but is embedded in the social environment and the culture of the community using the spaces and tools (e.g. ...
Doctoral dissertation. The Doctoral Programme in Psychology, Learning and Communication, University of Helsinki.
... In ABOs, employees usually have no assigned desks but switch between workspaces according to task-related needs (De Croon et al., 2005;Golden, 2007;Appel-Meulenbroek et al., 2011;Bodin Danielsson et al., 2015). However, activitybased workspace practices can also be applied in offices with assigned desks (Haapakangas et al., 2018), in which case they are referred to as combi-offices (De Been and Beijer, 2014) or multi-space offices . This type of ABO design has been studied less. ...
... As in successful organizational changes (Lewin, 1951;Kotter, 1996;Hayes, 2018), change management also plays a key role in workplace changes (Laframboise et al., 2003;van der Voordt, de Been and Maarleveld, 2012;Finch, 2012;Lahtinen et al., 2015Lahtinen et al., , 2017Kämpf-Dern and Konkol, 2017;Ruohomäki et al., 2017;Bergsten et al., 2021). This issue is typically ignored in quantitative relocation studies (Blok et al., 2009;Meijer et al., 2009;Haapakangas et al., 2018), even though the perception of change management has been shown to contribute to employee outcomes when moving to an ABO (Bull and Brown, 2012;Brunia et al., 2016;Bergsten et al., 2021;Rolfö, 2018;Wijk et al., 2020). For example, the perceived meaningfulness of the office redesign (Wijk et al., 2020), sufficient information regarding the change (Brunia et al., 2016;Rolfö, 2018;Babapour, 2019) and the quality of communication (Bull and Brown, 2012) have been associated with environmental satisfaction after relocation to an ABO. ...
... Our study is rare in that it investigated both the process and its relationship with later satisfaction with the workspaces by combining quantitative and qualitative research. The results showed that, on average, environmental satisfaction decreased in the ABO, which is in line with similar relocation studies (Haapakangas et al., 2018;Ruohomäki et al., 2019). Second, the perceptions of the process before the relocation were associated with a change in environmental satisfaction even a year after the relocation took place, complementing earlier studies, which have shown associations between the implementation process and employee satisfaction (Brunia et al., 2016;Rolfö et al., 2018;Wijk et al., 2020). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this case study is to investigate how the personnel in an organization experienced the process of change when moving from private offices to an activity-based office (ABO) and how their perceptions of change were associated with changes in their satisfaction with the work environment a year after relocation.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative pre-post study design and mixed methods were used. Survey data was obtained from 154 employees before the relocation and 146 after the relocation. The data on the 105 employees who responded to both surveys were statistically analyzed. Representatives of different units were interviewed ( n = 17) and documentary material was analyzed as complementary material.
Findings
The personnel’s criticisms concerned the reasons for the change, their opportunities to influence the office design and the extent to which their views were taken into account. Environmental satisfaction decreased after moving to the ABO. The personnel’s ratings of the workplace change process before the relocation were associated with the later change in environmental satisfaction. Based on logistic regression, the degree of agreement with management’s reasons for the change was the strongest predictor of the change in environmental satisfaction.
Practical implications
Organizations that move from private offices to an ABO should invest in high-quality change management and simultaneously develop both work and facilities. Special attention should be paid to clarifying the rationale for the change to the employees and to providing them with opportunities to influence during the change. Organizations should continue to monitor user experiences and evaluate the effects of the change after the office redesign and should take corrective action as needed.
Originality/value
This empirical case study is unique as it combined qualitative and quantitative methods and investigated the process of relocation and its outcomes in a one-year follow-up. This approach captured the importance of managing change and assessing the long-term effects of office redesign when moving from private offices to an ABO.
... Achieving both types of privacy can help individuals control visual exposure and accessibility, which limits external distractions and controls acoustic distribution [12][13][14] . This idea explains the close relationship between perceived privacy and job control. ...
... Distractions result from the presence, behaviors 18,19) , and movements of others 20) . The perceived lack of privacy can facilitate acute stress reactions and can be related to mental and physical health issues 14,21,22) . ...
... These items were answered on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not satisfied at all) to 5 (totally satisfied). The privacy subscale has been used in different studies and shows validity 14,40) . The Cronbach's alpha in this study was α=0.88. ...
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many employees have been required to work full- or part-time at home. This paper investigates the impact of perceived privacy on cognitive irritation and sleep problems among employees who worked from home during the pandemic.
Additionally, we analyzed the role of cognitive irritation as a mediator between privacy and sleep problems. We created a cross-sectional questionnaire, which was completed by 293 employees who performed home-based telework in German-speaking Switzerland. A mediation analysis was then conducted using a multiple regression analysis. A test of the indirect effect showed a significant mediation path from perceived privacy via cognitive irritation to sleep problems. Hence, the negative indirect effect indicates that perceived privacy is an important job resource that may prevent sleep problems. Further research is needed regarding home-based telework and recovery strategies to prevent sleep problems.
... Although an increasing focus on collaboration is also evident in higher education, individual work remains a central principle (Berthelsen et al., 2018). ABW could have a negative effect on individual work as it increases the likelihood of noise, distractions and interruptions (Haapakangas et al., 2018). Academics have criticized the use of ABW in academia for separating teachers from students (Wilhoit et al., 2016;Marrewijk and Van den Ende, 2018;Sandström and Nevgi, 2020;Nooij et al., 2022) and formalizing their relationships (Van Marrewijk and Van den Ende, 2018). ...
... In most studies, the perceived space was found to support the users' work processes insufficiently, resulting in negative perceptions of the (Boge et al., 2019). In academia, individual work remains key, and concentration is vital for the academic process (Haapakangas et al., 2018). For an academic, about 40% of the time is devoted to individual work that requires concentration (Pinder et al., 2009). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to apply spatial theory to a review of the literature on activity-based working in higher education. Globally, the office concept of activity-based working (ABW) is increasingly implemented in higher education, and scholars contributed to developing empirical explanations of the effects of implementing ABW in higher education. However, the focus on theory building is limited, decreasing the predictability and the understanding of implementing ABW.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed a theoretical framework by categorizing the empirical findings of earlier accounts by integrating them with Lefebvre’s spatial theory. They conducted a systematic literature review of 21 studies published between 2008 and 2022 that reported on the phenomenon of ABW among higher-education employees.
Findings
It remains to be seen whether the implementation of the ABW in higher education is successful in terms of pre-defined goals. The studies investigating academic workplace concepts have led to inconsistent findings that lack an underlying framework. As the ABW concept fails to adequately support academics’ work processes, it is recommended that managers and architects consider their subjective perspectives about the use of space and take the time to understand the users’ fundamental values.
Originality/value
The authors integrated the selected studies with Lefebvre’s spatial theory, and this model includes three perspectives that can explain workers' experiences with ABW. This theoretical framework can assist researchers in gaining a deeper understanding of ABW and support practitioners in implementing it in higher education.
... However, studies also show that in some of the shared work areas, employees can have difficulty concentrating because of interruptions and high noise levels [1]. Hence, research on AFOs appears to have focused primarily on employees' working conditions, satisfaction, and well-being (e.g., [1,4]), as well as productivity (e.g., [4][5][6]). To the best of our knowledge, there is little research considering the importance of perceptions of leadership behaviours related to AFOs, which is the focus of this study. ...
... The change-oriented index contained questions regarding whether they have new work methods, communicate their vision, encourage development, discuss new ideas and propositions, and start development projects. These leadership behaviour indices were measured with a six-category scale ranging from do not agree at all (1) to totally agree (6). The items were totalled to get separate index scores for the baseline and follow-up measurements. ...
This longitudinal study examines the impact of office type on employees’ perception of managers’ leadership behaviours, which is an unexplored area. The expanding research related to activity-based flexible offices (AFOs) has mainly focused on employees’ working conditions and health outcomes, not on the changes in leadership behaviours when moving from traditional offices to AFOs. Office workers (n = 261) from five office sites within a large Swedish government agency were included in a controlled study of a natural intervention. At four sites, traditional offices were replaced by AFOs, while workers at one site with no relocation acted as the control. The same employees rated different leadership behaviours in a web-based questionnaire at baseline and at one follow-up. The analyses showed that relocations from cell and open-plan offices to AFOs were clearly related to a decrease in the perception of relation-oriented leadership behaviours. However, coming from open-plan offices to AFOs also decreased the perception of the other leadership dimensions. As expected, the control group was stable over time in their perceptions. This emphasises the need for organisations to provide managers with prerequisites so they can keep up with behaviours that support employees’ performance and health when office designs and ways of working are changed.
... Although an increasing focus on collaboration is also evident in higher education, individual work remains a central principle (Berthelsen et al., 2018). ABW could have a negative effect on individual work as it increases the likelihood of noise, distractions and interruptions (Haapakangas et al., 2018). ...
... In most studies, the perceived space was found to support the users' work processes insufficiently, resulting in negative perceptions of the workplaces provided, including their efficiency (Boge et al., 2019). In academia, individual work remains key, and concentration is vital for the academic process (Haapakangas et al., 2018). For an academic, about 40% of the time is devoted to individual work that requires concentration (Pinder et al., 2009). ...
Globally, the activity-based-working (ABW) office concept is increasingly being implemented in higher education. However, an overall theoretical understanding of activity-based working in higher education is lacking. This paper integrates Lefebvre’s spatial theory (1991) and data-driven literature and proposes a theoretical framework for further research to explain and predict effects of ABW. We conducted a systematic literature review of 20 studies published from 2008 until March 2022 that reported on the phenomenon of activity-based working among higher-education employees. Several studies report positive effects, but most report negative effects, sometimes on similar outcomes, such as collaboration. The studies investigating academic workplace concepts have been predominantly data-driven; this has led to an array of inconsistent findings that lack an underlying framework. We integrated the selected studies with Lefebvre’s (1991) spatial theory and proposed a theoretical framework for further research. The model includes three perspectives that can explain workers’ positive and negative experiences with activity-based working. This theoretical framework can assist researchers in gaining a deeper understanding of activity-based working and support practitioners in implementing it in higher education.
... In addition to the office layout in its entirety, the availability of concentration spaces and breakout rooms also relates to higher productivity (Di Blasio et al. 2019;Haynes, Suckley, and Nunnington 2017;Kim et al. 2016;Rasheed, Khoshbakht, and Baird 2019;Wiik 2011), better concentration, less stress (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018;Seddigh et al. 2014) and higher overall wellbeing (Davis, Leach, and Clegg 2020). Similarly, vitality zones and active elements (e.g., exercise balls, standing desks, table tennis tables, lounge chairs, etc.) reduce stress and burnout-related symptoms (Coffeng et al. 2014;Engelen et al. 2017). ...
... In addition, low-frequency noise (below 20 Hz, mostly caused by climate systems or office equipment; Tesarz et al. 1997) results in difficulties concentrating and increased levels of fatigue for those sensitive to it (Burt 1996;Tesarz et al. 1997). Higher general satisfaction with acoustics also positively affects productivity (Chadburn, Smith, Besides noise, speech privacy-the (in)ability to listen to conversations of co-workers-correlates with concentration, productivity, and well-being as well (Candido, Chakraborty, and Tjondronegoro 2019;Fassoulis and Alexopoulos 2015;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018). In total, 15 studies included objective and subjective measurements, 4 only objective ones (e.g. ...
... In addition to the office layout in its entirety, the availability of concentration spaces and breakout rooms also relates to higher productivity (Di Blasio et al. 2019;Haynes, Suckley, and Nunnington 2017;Kim et al. 2016;Rasheed, Khoshbakht, and Baird 2019;Wiik 2011), better concentration, less stress (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018;Seddigh et al. 2014) and higher overall wellbeing (Davis, Leach, and Clegg 2020). Similarly, vitality zones and active elements (e.g., exercise balls, standing desks, table tennis tables, lounge chairs, etc.) reduce stress and burnout-related symptoms (Coffeng et al. 2014;Engelen et al. 2017). ...
... In addition, low-frequency noise (below 20 Hz, mostly caused by climate systems or office equipment; Tesarz et al. 1997) results in difficulties concentrating and increased levels of fatigue for those sensitive to it (Burt 1996;Tesarz et al. 1997). Higher general satisfaction with acoustics also positively affects productivity (Chadburn, Smith, Besides noise, speech privacy-the (in)ability to listen to conversations of co-workers-correlates with concentration, productivity, and well-being as well (Candido, Chakraborty, and Tjondronegoro 2019;Fassoulis and Alexopoulos 2015;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al. 2018). In total, 15 studies included objective and subjective measurements, 4 only objective ones (e.g. ...
The role of the physical workspace in employee mental health is often overlooked. As a (mentally) healthy workforce is vital for an organisation’s success, it is important to optimise office workspace conditions. Previous studies on the effects of the physical workspace on mental health tended to focus on the effects of a specific element of the physical workspace on one or only a few mental health indicators. This study takes a more holistic approach by addressing the relationship of physical workspace characteristics with ten broad indicators of work-related mental health. Results of a systematic review of empirical evidence show that many aspects of (day)light, office layout/design, and temperature and thermal comfort have been proven to be related to many mental health indicators. Less tacit workspace characteristics (e.g., noise, use of colours) have been explored too, but so far have only been related to a few mental health indicators.
Practitioner summary: The absence of holistic insights regarding the empirical proof of the effects of workspace design on employee mental health prevents a clear business case for workplace investments. This paper presents a content analysis of existing studies and shows how seven elements of workspace design relate to 10 mental health indicators.
... Next to having a shared or dedicated room and ergonomic furniture, several other workspace characteristics can cause distractions. At the office, high noise levels or extreme temperatures have been reported as distracting (Haapakangas et al. 2018;Clements-Croome 2006). Employees use several mechanisms to cope with these distractions, such as wearing headphones, coming to work earlier, or WFH (Oseland and Hodsman 2018). ...
... Office-related noise -conversations between colleagues, background noise, e-mails, and phone calls coming in -and a lack of speech privacy increase workspace distractions (Haapakangas et al. 2018;Haynes, Suckley, and Nunnington 2017). High intelligibility (i.e. ...
Previous research showed that office workers are mainly distracted by noise, influencing their mental health. Little investigation has been done into the influence of other workspace characteristics (i.e. temperature, amount of space, visual privacy, adjustability of furniture, wall colours, and workspace cleanliness) on distractions at the office, and even fewer while working from home (WFH). The influence of home-workspace distractions on mental health also received limited attention. This research aims to investigate relationships between home-workspace and personal characteristics, distraction, and mental health while WFH during COVID-19. A path analysis approach was used, to find that, at home, employees were distracted by noise and when having a small desk. Those with a dedicated workroom were less distracted. Distractions mediated most relationships between home-workspace characteristics and mental health, while personal characteristics influenced mental health directly. Employers can use these results to redesign policies regarding home-and-office working to stimulate a healthy work environment.
Practitioner summary: The investigation of the influence of home-workspace characteristics on distractions and mental health while WFH during COVID-19 appears to be limited. This research filled this gap by performing a path analysis, using a holistic definition of mental health. Findings showed that distractions mediate relationships between home-workspace characteristics and mental health.
... A study reported that noise has a negative effect on office employees' productivity [11]. Haapakangas stated that noise had a negative effect on employees' ability to focus on the manner of performing their tasks [12]. In addition, Seddigh reported that office noise increased frustration and stress among employees [13]. ...
... Pierrette developed a questionnaire and proved its validity and reliability. Many studies have used this type of questionnaire [10,12,15,18,[24][25][26][27][28]. Using this questionnaire, Braat found that 38% of people suffered from noise annoyance in their work environment. ...
Background: Today, open-plan offices are among the most common work environments. Although the noise in these environments is usually below the standard level, it is one of the critical annoyance factors due to the nature of the mental work. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess noise effects on employee comfort and validate the Persian version of the assessment of noise effects on employee comfort in the open-plan office questionnaire in Iran. Materials & Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted in an open-plan office in Shiraz, in 2021. We distributed questionnaires among 66 employees. Besides, we translated the questionnaire using the backward-forward technique, with the alpha coefficient and the intra-class correlation used to measure reliability. Finally, we used the Kappa, Spearman, and Mann-Whitney tests in SPSS V22.0 for data analysis. Results: The validity of the questionnaire items was evaluated as acceptable using Kappa and Spearman's coefficients. Besides, the reliability of the questionnaire, using the ICC and the alpha coefficient, was 0.876 and 0.930, respectively. In this study, the employees were sensitive to noise, and their overall satisfaction with their physical conditions was moderate. In total, 47% of the employees considered the noise level of their working environment high and very high, and 35% considered it annoying or very annoying. Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed that the questionnaire was an effective and reliable tool for noise annoyance assessments in office environments. Besides, we can use this tool to determine improvements required in open-plan offices and to evaluate the efficiency of these improvements.
... A study reported that noise has a negative effect on office employees' productivity [11]. Haapakangas stated that noise had a negative effect on employees' ability to focus on the manner of performing their tasks [12]. In addition, Seddigh reported that office noise increased frustration and stress among employees [13]. ...
... Pierrette developed a questionnaire and proved its validity and reliability. Many studies have used this type of questionnaire [10,12,15,18,[24][25][26][27][28]. Using this questionnaire, Braat found that 38% of people suffered from noise annoyance in their work environment. ...
Background: Today, open-plan offices are among the most common work environments. Although the noise in these environments is usually below the standard level, it is one of the critical annoyance factors due to the nature of the mental work. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess noise effects on employee comfort and validate the Persian version of the assessment of noise effects on employee comfort in the open-plan office questionnaire in Iran.
Materials & Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted in an open-plan office in Shiraz, in 2021. We distributed questionnaires among 66 employees. Besides, we translated the questionnaire using the backward-forward technique, with the alpha coefficient and the intra-class correlation used to measure reliability. Finally, we used the Kappa, Spearman, and Mann-Whitney tests in SPSS V22.0 for data analysis.
Results: The validity of the questionnaire items was evaluated as acceptable using Kappa and Spearman's coefficients. Besides, the reliability of the questionnaire, using the ICC and the alpha coefficient, was 0.876 and 0.930, respectively. In this study, the employees were sensitive to noise, and their overall satisfaction with their physical conditions was moderate. In total, 47% of the employees considered the noise level of their working environment high and very high, and 35% considered it annoying or very annoying. Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed that the questionnaire was an effective and reliable tool for noise annoyance assessments in office environments. Besides, we can use this tool to determine improvements required in open-plan offices and to evaluate the efficiency of these improvements.
... Work environment privacy-employee perceptions of being able to regulate social interactions and avoiding unwanted stimuli in the workplace (Stone & Stone, 1990)-has long been seen as being of great importance to employees and organizations (Bhave et al., 2020). Open-plan offices-it has been argued-provide employees with less privacy, leading to lower employee satisfaction with the work environment (Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al., 2018;Kim & de Dear, 2013;Maher & von Hippel, 2005). Even within open-plan offices, employees who do not work in cubicles-or have workstations enclosed in some way-find it harder to concentrate and are more easily disrupted, resulting in lower job satisfaction (Maher & von Hippel, 2005). ...
... This interaction can be seen as a form of person-environment fit (P-E fit). Recent studies have looked at activity-based work from this perspective (e.g., Hoendervanger et al., 2019;Gerdenitsch et al., 2017;Haapakangas, Hongisto, et al., 2018;Wohlers et al., 2017). In this respect, there are three essential elements-the physical working environment, the actual job task, and individual differences-with all three factors potentially playing a role regarding perceived fit. ...
The increasing popularity of activity-based work environments has led to concerns regarding lower employee privacy and psychological ownership. Using a longitudinal field survey, we attempt to capture how implementing an activity-based work environment impacts perceived privacy and psychological ownership—and potential employee adjustment over time. We further consider employee attitude towards activity-based work as a moderator. Consistent with past results, our findings indicate that implementing activity-based work environments can negatively affect employee privacy and psychological ownership. We do not find support for differences between short-term and long-term effects. However, employee attitude towards activity-based work emerges as a potentially important moderator that may offset the adverse effects of activity-based work environments. Implications of these findings for organizations and directions for future research are discussed.
... Conducting small meetings around workstations is often considered in open-plan office settings. However, the challenge lies in providing clear communication among employees while maintaining good speech privacy to prevent unintentional speech propagation, which can lead to dissatisfaction among other employees (Kim and de Dear 2013;Sander et al. 2021;Haapakangas et al. 2018). Some employees, especially those far from the speaker, may perceive conversations as unwanted noise and experience distractions. ...
Open-plan offices have become widely adopted in various industries as a workplace environment. However, this office layout type suffers from speech privacy, which can be represented by the acoustic parameter known as the Speech Transmission Index (STI). ISO 3382-3:2012 provides guidelines for calculating the acoustic parameters of a room tailored explicitly for open-plan offices. However, the existing method in ISO 3382-3:2012 requires a parallel layout of workstations to determine the STI value, which is hardly found in modern office settings. This study presents a technique to predict the ideal values of rP and rD, based on the relationship between %Alcons and the Speech Transmission Index (STI) for a specific workstation, using linear regression and in-situ measurements. The analysis of acoustic conditions in an open-plan office reveals that modified techniques can predict the acoustic quality in a modern office layout. The D2, S values indicate good acoustic quality, but the Lp, A, S,4m values do not meet the required standard. Using %Alcons equations, the study shows how to predict distraction distances and categorize workstations as 'Distracted' or 'Not distracted'. The results indicate only a small percentage of workstations allow for private communication.
... As illustrated in Table 2.7, the results indicate that noise (N) is the main influence on productivity since it is a distractor. Likewise, Haapakangas et al. (2018b) mention that distractions in the office are essentially environmental ...
... However, it should be noted that there may also be important differences between different types of open-plan office solutions that could not be captured by our rather crude measure of office layout. For instance, compared with traditional open-plan designs, activity-based workspaces (ABWs), if properly implemented, include several features that are intended to compensate for the typical problems in open-plan offices such as having a choice of settings that support a variety of tasks throughout the workday (Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo & Lahtinen, 2018). A review of the literature on ABWs found that although ABWs are unfavorable for concentration and privacy, this kind of open office solution could be beneficial regarding levels of interaction, communication, control of time and space, and satisfaction with the workspace (Engelen et al., 2019). ...
The appraisal of control over work intensity and decisions at the workplace is a well-established determinant of health and well-being among employees. Building on job design theories, the overarching aim of this study was to determine office layout as a predictor of perceived job control. Specifically, we investigated between-group differences in control by contrasting employees in cellular offices with employees in shared/open offices, as well as effects on control among employees transitioning from one office design to another. This is a longitudinal study with three survey points across 48 months comprising 3,415 Norwegian office employees. Data were analyzed with latent growth curve analyses, adjusted for gender, age, leadership responsibility, and teleworking. Employees in cellular offices reported significantly higher control over work intensity and control over decisions when compared with employees in shared/open workspaces. Transitioning from a shared/open workspace to a cellular office led to a significant increase in perceived control regarding work intensity. As the experience of control may buffer the negative impact of job demands, organizations that rely on shared or open office solutions may benefit from identifying tools that can contribute to enhancing their employees' perceived control.
... Conversely, the IT office was fully open and did not have back-up spaces beyond the meeting rooms and coffee area. In relation to this, Haapakangas et al. (2018) and Chadburn et al. (2017) highlight the importance of providing quiet workplaces as resources to cope with distractions and reduce stress. Therefore, welldesigned offices that already match users' activities and have sufficient quiet spaces available to enable control over surrounding stimuli may not benefit from additional furniture solutions such as the one prototyped. ...
... Depending on the organizational and work structure, it is possible to identify four types of offices: hive, cell, den, and club, based on the combination of private environments (cell office, from a single workstation) and open plan spaces (where there are more than five workstations) [38]. Many studies have shown that the open space office configuration is associated with less privacy and more distraction [39][40][41][42][43], reduced satisfaction [44][45][46][47], and lower job performance [44,[47][48][49][50]. Other IEQs related to worker well-being include air quality, temperature, acoustic comfort, privacy, and lighting source [35,43,45,48,51,52]. ...
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more organizations have implemented remote working, resulting in a partial overlap between home and work environments. This study aimed to develop a tool named Perceived RemoteWorkplace Environment Quality Indicators (PRWEQIs) to study the impact of the remote work environment on worker well-being. A preliminary 20-item version was developed. In Study 1, an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted on a sample of remote students (N = 521); the results were confirmed in Study 2 through a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) on a sample of remote workers (N = 463). The final 15-item PRWEQIs include five indicators, Acoustic comfort, Visual comfort, Quality of the furnishings, Safety, and Space usability, and a second-order factor referring to General perceived comfort. The scale constitutes an initial instrument for assessing the perception of the physical-spatial qualities of the remote working environment.
... h per week (Anttila et al., 2021), and 59% of Chinese employees worked in an office (Gensler, 2021). Working in an uncomfortable office space for extended periods would cause fatigue, negative emotions, and burnout (Johnson and Lipscomb, 2006;WHO, 2017;Haapakangas et al., 2018), and all of which impact workers' mental health. Employee health issues are a prevalent and pressing issue worldwide, with data suggesting that the major global economies lose 4-6% of their GDP annually due to work-related health problems (WHO, 2019). ...
In modern urban life, individuals are spending an increasing amount of time in the office. However, working in an uncomfortable office space for extended periods can affect the physical and mental health of employees. On this basis, it is particularly important for employees to build a comfortable and healthy office environment that is conducive to their work. The present study aimed to explore the use of wood in office furniture to build a comfortable and healthy work environment. The use of wood in office spaces can effectively relieve the mental fatigue of employees. Focusing on wooden office furniture, this study explores its influence on the aesthetic evaluation of wooden office spaces by manipulating the wood color and coverage of the wooden furniture placed in office spaces. Experimenting with these changes will optimize the application of wood in office spaces, improve employees’ mental health. The results show that wood color and coverage significantly impact the aesthetic evaluation of wooden office spaces. People exhibit higher aesthetic evaluations of light and medium wood-colored office spaces and prefer spaces with low wood coverage. The findings of this study provide a reference for the use of wooden furniture to optimize workplaces.
... The two researchers illustrate how the adoption of the Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW) model based on the 26 sociomateriality approach favors the understanding of ABW itself because the sociomaterial perspective provides variousaccommodations/settings in the workplace with different characteristics. Strategies may include office layouts, such as the traditional office and the (Bernstein E.S., Turban S., 2018;Haapakangas A. et al., 2018) open-plan office and activity-based work places (De Been I. et al., 2015;Haapakangas A. et al., 2018a). ...
The debate on the socio-materiality of practices is still in an unstable balance between the "social" and the "material", between an interpretation of practice as an object of change (privileging human beings) or an agent of change (privileging its action on human (Gherardi S., 2017b, p. 39) beings). Socio-materiality (with or without hyphen) is a key concept in research and studies based on organizational and labor practices, because it is a theory that "illuminates the relationship between social practice and materiality in an organization" (Orlikowski W.J., 2007; Leonardi P.M., 2013). In this article we will refer to various hypotheses on the usefulness of the concept of "sociomateriality" in analyzing and describing the relationship between man and matter, between human and technological, between social and material as well as reflections on the theme of practices in philosophical thought.
... I due ricercatori illustrano come l'adozione del modello Activity-Based Workplaces (ABW) 27 basato sull'approccio della sociomaterialità favorisce la comprensione dell'ABW stesso perché la prospettiva sociomateriale fornisce varie sistemazioni/setting sul posto di lavoro con caratteristiche diverse. Le strategie possono includere layout per uffici, come l'ufficio tradizionale e l'ufficio "open-plan" (Bernstein E.S., Turban S., 2018;Haapakangas A. et al., 2018) ed appunto luoghi di lavoro activity-based (De Been I. et al., 2015;Haapakangas A. et al., 2018a). ...
The debate on the socio-materiality of practices is still in an unstable balance between the "social" and the "material", between an interpretation of practice as an object of change (privileging human beings) or an agent of change (privileging its action on human (Gherardi S., 2017b, p. 39) beings). Socio-materiality (with or without hyphen) is a key concept in research and studies based on organizational and labor practices, because it is a theory that "illuminates the relationship between social practice and materiality in an organization" (Orlikowski W.J., 2007; Leonardi P.M., 2013). In this article we will refer to various hypotheses on the usefulness of the concept of "sociomateriality" in analyzing and describing the relationship between man and matter, between human and technological, between social and material as well as reflections on the theme of practices in philosophical thought. Parole chiavi Incarnazione, fenomenologia, apprendimento basato sulla pratica, conoscenza sensibile; sociomaterialità Introduzione Fin dall'inizio la svolta della pratica, definita in precedenza come "il ritorno della pratica" (Miettinen R., Samra-Fredericks D., Yanow D. , 2009; Gherardi S., 2017b), ha reso evidente che una "teoria della pratica unificata non esiste" e che, inoltre, "regnano disaccordi sulla natura dell'incarnazione, sulla pertinenza della tematizzazione quando si analizzano le pratiche, sul tipo di entità che mediano l'attività e se queste entità sono rilevanti per le pratiche come qualcosa di più che semplici intermediari tra gli esseri umani" (Schatzki, T. R., 2001, p. 11) 1 In quei primi studi molta dell'attenzione degli autori è andata verso lo sforzo di identificare gli elementi che compongono una pratica ed alcuni approcci sono stati anche denominati "teoria della pratica basata su elementi" (Morley J., 2017, p. 82). L'inserimento ed incorporazione degli elementi materiali nelle pratiche sociali è stato, di fatto, uno sviluppo molto importante nelle teorie della pratica sociale (Reckwitz A., 2002; Schatzki T. R. , 2002; 2010; Shove E., Pantzar M., Watson M. , 2012), ed in proposito Reckwitz ha osservato che "gli" artefatti "o" cose "[…] partecipano necessariamente alle pratiche sociali proprio come fanno gli esseri umani" (2002, p. 208) 2. Reckwitz (2002a) ha individuato e definito gli elementi di una pratica come attività fisiche e mentali, oggetti o materiali e competenze, conoscenze e abilità condivise; Shove et al. (2012) li hanno identificati in 1 cit. in (Gherardi S., 2017b, p. 38) 2 ibidem
... Furthermore, Rashid et al. [101] argue that uncontrollable visual and physical work settings in open-plan offices negatively affect employees by decreasing their concentration and increasing their stress levels, thus leading to degraded productivity. These results were further supported by Haapakangas et al. [102] who found that work distractions caused by the layout of open-plan offices are a central source of environmental stress. Similarly, sharing the workspace with other adults or children while working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic was considered a major environmental distractor associated with stress [103]. ...
We regularly face stress during our everyday activities, to the extent that stress is recognized by the World Health Organization as the epidemic of the 21st century. Stress is how humans respond physically and psychologically to adjustments, experiences, conditions, and circumstances in their lives. While there are many reasons for stress, work and job pressure remain the main cause. Thus, companies are increasingly interested in creating healthier, more comfortable, and stress-free offices for their workers. The indoor environment can induce environmental stress when it cannot satisfy the individual needs for health and comfort. In fact, office environmental conditions (e.g., thermal, and indoor air conditions, lighting, and noise) and interior design parameters (e.g., office layout, colors, furniture, access to views, distance to window, personal control and biophilic design) have been found to affect office workers' stress levels. A line of research based on the stress recovery theory offers new insights for establishing offices that limit environmental stress and help with work stress recovery. To that end, this paper answers ten questions that explore the relation between the indoor office-built environment and stress levels among workers. The answers to the ten questions are based on an extensive literature review to draw conclusions from what has been achieved to date. Thus, this study presents a foundation for future environmental stress related research in offices.
... Há diversas pesquisas sobre o impacto do ruído nesses ambientes e esse ruído se propaga livremente pela falta de barreiras físicas. Nesses escritórios, também denominados de planta livre ou open-plan, os funcionários relatam insatisfação principalmente com conversas indesejadas e falta de privacidade no ambiente de trabalho (DANIELSSON; BODIN, 2009;HAAPAKANGAS et al., 2018;JENSEN;ARENS;ZAGREUS, 2005;KIM;DEAR, 2013;PIERRETTE et al., 2014). Inclusive na análise de um escritório de planta livre brasileiro sem tratamento acústico, Passero e Zannin (2009) destacaram que a faixa de frequência predominante é correspondente à da voz humana. ...
Resumo Salas de estudos são ambientes coletivos do tipo panorâmico, os quais possuem diversas estações de trabalho separadas ou não por divisórias. Neste trabalho, são analisadas a interferência na inteligibilidade da fala e as condições de conforto acústico em salas de estudos coletivas devido ao ruído produzido por miniventiladores de mesa (de plástico e metal) e ar-condicionado (split e de janela). Seis salas de estudos coletivas foram avaliadas em 11 configurações, variando o uso do equipamento de resfriamento, por meio das curvas de ruído NC e RC Mark II, tempo de reverberação (TR), tempo de decaimento inicial (EDT), índice de transmissão da fala (STI) e definição (D50). Os resultados da curva de ruído demonstram que todas as situações analisadas com osminiventiladoresatendem a NC40 (45 dB) para escritórios coletivos, o que não ocorreu com o uso dosaparelhos de ar-condicionado. Todas as configurações consideradas com os equipamentos de resfriamento apresentaram curva RC Mark II com característica de chiado (espectro desbalanceado em alta frequência). Além disso, observa-se que as condições físicas das salas, destacando-se a pouca área de absorção sonora, geram valores de parâmetros acústicos considerados impróprios para atividades de estudos coletivas, sendo as salas com maior volume os piores resultados.
... Meditation is a simple and quick method that helps reduce the stress of daily work while bringing a sense of inner peace [34]. Figure 4. ...
Happiness is a natural human right that all seek to achieve. The quality of people’s lives may be directly affected by the quality of their working life, which is affected by the quality of their work environment. This has become the focus of attention of work institutions in society due to its great importance and strong impact on success. The purpose of this study was to investigate the institutional work environment at King Faisal University by surveying faculty and staff members regarding their opinions on meeting their environmental and functional needs at work by improving the interior design of workspaces to create happiness in the work environment. The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between employees’ performance levels and their work environment, in addition to making happiness and quality of life major priorities and creating a stimulating work environment. The researcher used descriptive analysis to analyze the relationship between aspects of work and the levels of job satisfaction and happiness among employees of King Faisal University. The researcher used a five-point Likert scale to measure the responses to the questionnaire items, and reached several conclusions, including that the level of job happiness at King Faisal University is not affected by the variables of gender, social status, or the nature of the job, and that the university provides a work environment that helps achieve job happiness and allows for job innovation and creativity.
... Lucas and Heady (2002) found no significant relationship between flexitime working environments and commuting satisfaction, whereas, Morris and Guerra (2015) found the total affect scores (positive and negative) of work-related travel to be lower than other non-work-related travel. Other studies also analyzed the relationship between workplace satisfaction, workplace attachment, workplace environment and design, and satisfaction with the commute (Gerber et al., 2020;Haapakangas et al., 2018;Phillips et al., 2010;Spreckelmeyer, 1993;Wallmann-sperlich et al., 2019). However, workplace attachment and workplace satisfaction are not indicative of an individual's employment characteristics. ...
Although the majority of literature explains travel satisfaction by examining trip determinants, the interaction between travel satisfaction and satisfaction with other life domains has been analyzed less frequently. Accounting for satisfaction with other life domains is nevertheless important because the effect of trip characteristics on travel satisfaction may be overestimated without considering satisfaction with non-travel-related life domains. Hence, this paper examines the interaction between satisfaction with commuting time, satisfaction with other life domains and overall life satisfaction. An ordered logistic regression has been estimated using a large dataset comprising data from 32 European countries. Results indicate that satisfaction with specific life domains and overall life satisfaction have a significant association with commuting time satisfaction (CTS), while controlling for employment characteristics, and personality (i.e., trust). Of all life domains, job and time-use satisfaction have the strongest associations with CTS. Given the large dataset, we controlled for the contextual differences between the European countries by making a distinction between well-and less-developed countries. The result seems to suggest that all life domains and employment characteristics better explain CTS in well-developed countries than less-developed countries. This paper thus contributes to reporting other innovative ways to obtain high levels of commuting time satisfaction rather than only looking at the interactions with transport mode, travel distance and travel time.
... Both undergraduate-and graduate-level students reported that space for allowing quiet study is more important than group study and work (Association of Research Libraries, 2019; Ramsden, 2011). Open-plan spaces have been considered inappropriate for work requiring concentration because of distractions and noises (Haapakangas et al., 2018;Yoo-Lee et al., 2013). Crowding is also frequently regarded as a problem in academic libraries that creates noise and distractions (Cha & Kim, 2020;DeClercq & Cranz, 2014). ...
A library in higher education plays a primary role in students' learning on campus. In addition to individually-focused studying, students come to a library for various purposes, such as group learning, collaborating, and socializing. To support students' different types of learning, appropriate physical and functional environments of the spaces must be provided. However, the environmental effects of learning spaces have not been explored extensively. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced students to remain and study at home for extended periods, and it is expected that the pandemic experience has affected students' space use patterns. This study aims to examine the effect of the pandemic on students' library usage and to investigate the necessary environments to effectively support students' learning activities. Data was collected via interviews with 12 students. One of the main findings is that, even though students used the library less during the pandemic, they expected to use it as much as pre-pandemic or even more after the pandemic. Furthermore, both physical and functional environments were associated with the study performance and wellbeing of the students. Therefore, understanding students' learning activities and preferred environments in a library is critical to providing appropriate spaces supporting students' learning performance and wellbeing.
... The perception of building occupants also includes other psychological and behavioral factors particular to the world of work. On this matter, Haapakangas et al. [17] indicate that an objective measurement of worker performance is often not feasible in office work and researchers must rely on self-assessments as a useful and holistic mechanism for understanding the occupant and their productivity. Nevertheless, it is difficult to distinguish which variables are most significant and interrelated with the built environment and truly matter. ...
The evaluation of productivity in office buildings is particularly complex; studies indicate that occupants’ perceptions reflect thermal conditions and are therefore an important element to consider. This research reveals the interrelationships and relative influences of the thermal environmental factors of offices on the perceived productivity of workers. Through fieldwork conducted in winter and summer in 18 Chilean office buildings, information was collected from 940 occupants on 32 variables related to the thermal environment and self-perceived productivity. A total of 3551 responses were used together with environmental and physical data on the indoor built space to formulate a model that recognizes the effect of the thermal environment on productivity. In this model, the constructs of individual thermal sensation, thermal preference, and thermal acceptability are mediating variables that originate in different office parameters and influence perceived productivity. Subsequently, the model was validated and specified following the SEM methodology, thereby resulting in a reduced model of 10 significant variables. An analysis of the interrelationships established the importance of these variables associated with the design of built space and the management of comfort strategies considering work productivity.
... Thus conferring opportunities for personal environmental control is an end in itself, as well as increasing satisfaction with environmental conditions. Evidence for the value of control is only just emerging for acoustic comfort, as reported by Harvie-Clark and Hinton [23], and Haapakangas et al. [24]. Lee and Aletta [25] have taken a more holistic approach to understanding acoustic comfort and conclude that the most important factors for acoustic comfort are acoustic space planning and occupant control. ...
... Research focusing on the effects of implementing ABWs is growing, although the findings surrounding them are still ambiguous. Most studies have been on the effects of ABWs on individuals' perceived satisfaction with, for example, performance [3,[7][8][9][10][11][12], communication [12,13], and collaboration [13,14]. Satisfaction with spatial factors, such as office layout [8,10,13,15], desk sharing, and privacy [5,12,13,16] has also been studied. ...
Activity-based workplaces (ABW) have been implemented in many organizations to offer office flexibility and decrease facility costs. Evaluations of the ABW implementation process are rare. The study aimed to examine the ABW relocation process of two offices in a Swedish governmental agency and to explore factors that influence the implementation process and satisfaction with it. Qualitative or quantitative data were collected on process variables (context, recruitment, reach, dose delivered, dose received, satisfaction), barriers and facilitators to the process were explored in focus group interviews, and immediate outcomes (perceived knowledge, understanding office rules, satisfying information and support) were measured by questionnaire before and after the relocation. The evaluation showed that recruitment was unsatisfactory and reach insufficient—and participation in activities was thus low for both offices. However, intended changes improved. Unclear aims of ABW, lack of manager support and, lack of communication were some of the reported barriers to participation, while a well-planned process, work groups, and program activities were facilitators. Thus, to increase satisfaction with the relocation, our results suggest that recruitment should be thoroughly planned, taking these factors into account to increase participation. This knowledge may be useful for planning and designing successful ABW relocations and evaluations.
... A low noise level is a basic requirement for a comfortable environment and high work productivity [22][23][24]. Some studies [25,26] have already demonstrated the negative relationship between perceived noise level and indoor environment satisfaction through questionnaire surveys. ...
Few studies have investigated whether employees have different acoustic demands for various types of open-plan offices (OPOs), which can be subdivided into small, medium-sized and large OPOs depending on the number of employees sharing an office. In this study, an investigation of acoustic environment is carried out in 16 OPOs, aiming to 1) study how the design parameters of OPOs affect indoor acoustic environments, and 2) explore whether occupants' demands of acoustic environments are different between large open-plan offices (LOPOs) and medium-sized open-plan offices (MOPOs). Both objective measurement and subjective evaluation results that relate to the key aspects of the acoustic environment (noise level and speech privacy) are collected from 7 LOPOs and 9 MOPOs in China. The analysed results found that OPOs with the lower spatial density of workstations or higher storey height have the higher spatial decay rate of speech (D 2;S), lower speech level at 4 m distance (L p;A;S;4m) and shorter comfort distance (r C). The perceived noise level has the greatest influence on employees' acoustic satisfaction, and speech interference on employees' re-concentration is the main acoustic reason leading to work productivity decrease. In terms of the differences in acoustic environment between LOPOs and MOPOs, MOPO employees have higher acoustic satisfaction and lower disturbance levels of speech noises. Perceived speech privacy is a significant acoustic factor affecting work productivity in LOPOs, while it is not in MOPOs.
... The latter result could be due to the fact that the design satisfaction of "preoccupied" employees does not lie on the perceived adequacy of the environment (i.e., positive thoughts of the place), but rather on the perceived (in)adequacy of self (negative thoughts of self), since preoccupied workplace attachment is characterized by a positive thought of Place and a negative thought of Self (Scrima et al., 2017). More generally, the connection between workplace satisfaction and exhaustion confirms the evidence about the positive role that design satisfaction plays in predicting employees' health (Haapakangas, Hongisto, Varjo, & Lahtinen, 2018;Herbig, Schneider, & Nowak, 2016;Lee, Wargocki, Chan, Chen, & Tham, 2020). ...
The role played by place attachment in the prediction of positive or negative outcomes for people wellbeing has been analyzed in various environments, nevertheless the work environment is still understudied. The aim of this research was to test the relationship between the three workplace attachment styles (i.e., secure, avoidant, and preoccupied) and employees' exhaustion, considering also satisfaction toward the workplace design as a possible mediator and privacy as a possible moderator. Data were collected through a self-report questionnaire filled in by 270 employees in different offices. Results show that preoccupied and avoidant workplace attachment are associated with high exhaustion, whereas secure workplace attachment is connected to low exhaustion. Such relationships are mediated by workplace design satisfaction in opposite sense for secure and avoidant (but not for preoccupied) workplace attachment. Finally, the amplification effect of privacy was found only in the relationship between secure workplace attachment and exhaustion. Overall, these findings prove the importance of considering both workplace attachment patterns and design features (including privacy issues) for promoting a better work experience in office employees.
... A-FOs also provide different work environments to suit distinct types of work activities, with hot desks serving to encourage workers to switch between work environments as the Culture/Country 0 0 0 need arises. When these aspects of flexibility were supported by the organization and taken advantage of by workers, they improved the impact of A-FOs on worker outcomes relative to more-closed alternatives [41,53,54]. Noise, privacy, and control over environmental conditions might help explain why cellular offices but not desks with barriers tend to outperform non-A-FO open-plan layouts, where workers cannot move to quieter places or otherwise control the workspace environment as effectively as in a private office. ...
BACKGROUND: Several recent reports conclude that open-plan offices negatively impact workers across a variety of outcome measures. This contrasts to a corporate trend to move from cellular to open-plan layouts, often justified by the same outcomes. Two explanations for this paradox are proposed: (1) the results are more complicated than critical reports suggest, and (2) methodological biases make open-plan layouts look more negative than they are.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the proposed explanations using a systematic literature review.
METHODS: Google Scholar was used to find original research on the relationship between office openness and worker outcomes. 89 articles were coded for the variables and methods they used, and conclusions about the relationship between layout and outcomes were evaluated.
RESULTS: The proposed explanations were partly supported. The relationship between layout openness and worker outcomes depends on the variables considered and the methods used, and a small subset of methods was used far more often than others. That said, more research is needed to evaluate impact of open-plan offices on worker outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between office openness and worker outcomes varies widely depending on how it is measured. Several promising areas for future research may help clarify this relationship.
Keywords: workplace performance, office type, shared office space, job satisfaction
Previously unpublished data from over 600 office buildings in the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) Occupant Survey database are used to perform a systematic analysis of dissatisfaction in contemporary workspaces. A total of 81% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with at least one aspect of their workspace, and 67% with more than one. Acoustics were the most common source of dissatisfaction, particularly related to people talking, speech privacy, and phones. Other challenges included a perceived lack of control over the temperature and insufficient space, along with other associated problems of densely populated offices. The analysis shows that context matters when understanding occupant dissatisfaction. Occupants of open-plan offices with low or no partitions were almost twice as likely to complain about their workspace than someone in a private, enclosed office. Being near a window decreased the likelihood of dissatisfaction compared with those who were not near a window. There was a clear relationship between self-perceived performance and satisfaction with the indoor environment. Dissatisfaction profiles found that acoustics, space, and privacy-related items co-occur for many occupants dissatisfied with more than one workspace aspect.
Activity-based offices (ABOs) have become increasingly common. Yet, longitudinal studies investigating the effects of change are rare. This three-wave longitudinal study compared perceptions of privacy and office support, satisfaction with the work environment, and well-being in an organization that renovated private offices into an ABO (maintaining assigned desks). Questionnaires were administered four months before and eight and 21 months after the change. Data on 34 employees from the first and 21 from the second follow-up were analyzed. Privacy, perceived office support for work tasks, and work engagement decreased at both follow-ups. No effects were found on perceived office support for interaction or job satisfaction. Satisfaction with the work environment decreased at the eight-month follow-up. This study’s long follow-up demonstrated the negative effects of office redesign on the perception of privacy, support for work tasks, satisfaction with the work environment, and well-being.
Many employees have had to telework all year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though working from home has many advantages, there are also some disadvantages worth to consider. Lack of privacy is a relevant factor when it comes to the development of severe musculoskelatal issues. This study investigated the link between perceived privacy in home office and musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs). Family–work conflict (FWC), work–family conflict (WFC), and relaxation were tested as potential mediators for the relationship between perceived privacy and MSCs. The present study’s questionnaire was filled out by 287 teleworking employees. Hypotheses were tested via multiple mediation analyses examining levels of perceived privacy in home office, and its relationship on MSCs. Furthermore, the underlying effect of FWC, WFC, and MSCs were tested with a structural equation model. As assumed, lack of privacy while working at home was linked to individuals more frequently experiencing MSCs. However, the structural equation model showed no significant mediation effect. Work design efforts must address privacy while employees perform telework at home to prevent MSCs.
Different office types provide the preconditions for distinct user experiences. However, research evidence on how users appraise flexible offices such as activity-based or combi offices is not as abundant as in the case of the more traditional open-plan and cell offices. Furthermore, the available literature shows discrepant results between flexible offices. The main difference between traditional and flexible offices is that the design of the latter is intended for users to switch between different shared spaces and workstations oriented to support different activities, needs and preferences. This office design may offer new opportunities and challenges for users as their experiences at work may be influenced by design qualities (or constellations of them) that are not present in traditional offices. I study the experiences of users with flexible offices because I want to understand the influences that the design qualities of office artefacts and spaces have on such experiences, as well as their design implications. In addition, I utilise the acquired knowledge to explore design opportunities for positive user experiences with flexible offices. In this regard, the research angle adopted builds on a UX theoretical background and a practical approach with multiple user studies in real office environments.
The findings show that user experiences with flexible offices are influenced by interrelated design qualities of the spaces and artefacts in use, rather than isolated qualities. These (tangible and intangible) qualities define the nature of an artefact, a space, or constellations of them that users experience, for instance the qualities of an office chair vs. a meeting room. Experiences are subjective, but relate to both individual and collective experiences, for example using an ergonomic workstation vs. sharing such workstations. The findings also suggest that designing for user experiences with flexible offices is a highly complex endeavour, and that emphasis should be placed on designing for the experiences of pleasure, community, autonomy, purpose, and control over the environment.
Utilising this knowledge to develop and test research prototypes allowed for a richer understanding of the experiential process and its relation to more systemic aspects such as the context of use or the temporality of experiences. Derived from these research activities and their findings, I present in this thesis the tentative SEEX (Stimuli-Evaluation-EXperiential outcome) model of how user experiences take place. This thesis contributes knowledge on theoretical and practical levels for academics and practitioners to continue studying office user experiences from a UX perspective, support informed decisions in the planning, operation, and evaluation of offices, and explore design opportunities for office environments.
Despite the awareness that employees spend at least half of their awake time at work, knowledge about how the physical office work environment (POWE) shapes employee wellbeing remains fragmented, inconsistent and scattered across disciplines. We provide a narrative review of the empirical literature to summarise the current state of the science and lay the groundwork for advancing a more holistic and nuanced theoretical understanding of the mediating mechanisms underlying the POWE‐wellbeing relationship. To do so, we propose an updated taxonomy of POWE features, incorporating a new dimension – exposure to nature, and use this extended taxonomy to examine the evidence base on the relationship between POWE features and five dimensions of wellbeing: affective, physical, social, cognitive and professional. Based on our findings, we extend a meta‐theoretical model which identifies three distinct theoretically‐driven mediating pathways – relatedness, energy and functional discomfort – through which POWE features differentially influence wellbeing dimensions. In doing so, we integrate the organizational behaviour theory of Job Demands‐Resources and the environmental psychology framework of POWE functions to argue that POWE functions can be both demands and resources‐generating, and can, therefore, have simultaneous positive and negative consequences for employee wellbeing. We conclude with a critical examination of theoretical, methodological and practical implications for future research.
Office workers spend much of their working day sitting or standing still, which can have dramatic impacts on their health. The physical environment has long been regarded as influencing people's behaviour, including how much and how often they move. Developing a deeper understanding of relationships between specific spatial and environmental attributes and office workers' movement behaviour may inform the development of effective interventions to help people to move more whilst at work.
In this study, the daily movement behaviour of 22 office workers was analysed using high resolution location data collected over 4 weeks and compared to their individual exposure to objectively measured spatial and IEQ attributes of their workplace. The results showed that increased visibility of colleagues had significant negative associations with several measures of daily movement behaviour, including the total area utilised each day (ß = −0.73, 95% CI: 1.29, −0.14, p < 0.05). The distance to office destinations such as kitchens and meeting rooms was found to be positively associated with the median duration of moving bouts (ß = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.11, 0.50, p < 0.01). Associations with IEQ exposures were primarily related to stationary behaviours, such as those between operative temperature and maximum stationary bout duration (ß = 149.15, 95% CI: 43.8, 260.0, p < 0.01). Although in most cases, the material impacts of the associations were small, the results suggest several promising avenues to pursue in the development of new design and policy-based interventions to help reduce stationary time and increase movement in the workplace.
The workplace environment can be represented by physical, psychosocial, and technological environment scales. Whilst there are established measurement scales for the physical and social environments in existing literature, there has been a lack of development regarding the appropriate operationalisation and measurement of the technological environment. Given this, the present study develops parsimonious measures for the technological work environment by employing a mixed method approach. This includes generating domains and items from a qualitative content analysis through focus group interviews, establishing the face and content validity of the instrument through consulting experts in the area, evaluating the construct validity by performing exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis on data collected from information technology professionals. The study further calculated floor and ceiling effects and test-retest reliability. This study suggests that the technological work environment be measured in three main dimensions, which include connectivity and network and availability of appropriate cutting-edge devices and software applications. The instrument developed can be used by other researchers in conducting future empirical studies in this area. Industry practitioners can also use the instrument in analyzing how well they have satisfied the employees in providing a technologically conducive workplace environment.
Purpose
It is widely recognized that interior office space can affect health in several ways. Strategic and evidence-based design, including explicit design objectives, well-chosen design solutions and evaluation of results, aid realization of desired health effects. Therefore, this paper aims to identify possibly effective interior design strategies and accompanying design solutions and to provide examples of effectiveness measures.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature sample of 59 peer-reviewed papers published across disciplines was used to collect examples of workplace design features that have positively influenced workers’ well-being. The papers were grouped by their health objective and design scope successively and their theoretical assumptions, measures and findings were analyzed.
Findings
Four main workplace design strategies were identified. Design for comfort aims at reducing or preventing health complaints, discomfort and stress, following a pathogenic approach. It has the longest tradition and is the most frequently addressed in the included papers. The other three take a salutogenic approach, promoting health by increasing resources for coping with demands through positive design. Design for restoration supports physical and mental recovery through connections with nature. Design for social well-being facilitates social cohesion and feelings of belonging. Design for healthy behavior aims at nudging physical activity in the workplace.
Originality/value
By drawing complementary perspectives and offering examples of design solutions and effectiveness measures, this paper encourages workplace designers, managers and researchers to take a transdisciplinary and evidence-based approach to healthy workplaces. It also serves as a starting point for future empirical research.
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the added value of healthy workplaces for employees and organizations, in particular regarding employee satisfaction, labour productivity and facility cost.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on a narrative review of journal papers and other sources covering the fields of building research, corporate real estate management, facilities management, environmental psychology and ergonomics.
Findings
The review supports the assumption of positive impacts of appropriate building characteristics on health, satisfaction and productivity. Correlations between these impacts are still underexposed. Data on cost and economic benefits of healthy workplace characteristics is limited, and mainly regard reduced sickness absence. The discussed papers indicate that investing in healthy work environments is cost-effective.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between physical characteristics of the environment and health, satisfaction, productivity and costs. These insights can be used to assess work environments on these topics, and to identify appropriate interventions in value-adding management of buildings and facilities.
Previous studies indicated a potential influence of physical workplace characteristics (e.g. light, noise, air quality) on employees' mental health (e.g. stress, fatigue, or mood). Until recently, most workplace-context research had a pathogenic instead of a salutogenic orientation. In this systematic scoping review (PRISMA) ten indicators of mental health are taken as a starting point, including both mental well-being and -illness. This provides a more holistic exploration of methods, measures, and employee-workplace theories that explain how physical workplace resources promote employees’ mental health. The directions of these relationships are also observed. Results show that some workplace characteristics are studied with many validated measures, while others appear less diverse or so far lack approaches with objective measures. Results show that some indicators of mental health (e.g. concentration, and stress) have frequently been related to indoor environmental quality (IEQ) (e.g. light and daylight), while others (e.g. burnout, engagement, and depression) have received less attention in relation to the physical workplace (especially to biophilia, views, look and feel). This review identifies important avenues for future research, potential objective and subjective measures for employee mental health in relation to the office workplace and calls for a more holistic approach to mental health at work.
Architectural design greatly influences building energy performance (BEP), and energy-efficient design is therefore often studied. Architectural space layout also can affect BEP. However, only a few of the numerous studies on energy-efficient design considered the effect of space layout. Within these studies, the isolated effect of space layout on the BEP has hardly have been analysed systematically. The framework of Performative Computational Architecture (PCA) had been proven to be effective to improve BEP. PCA includes form generation, performance evaluation, and computational optimisation. With this framework, the building’s geometry and material properties are parametrised, and the performance is assessed for different combinations of design parameters. It aims to find the proper parameters that satisfy the defined objectives. This method can include the generation and assessment of space layouts. However, only a few studies have tried to combine the automatic generation of space layout with energy performance optimisation; nor the systematic analysis of the effects and relations between space layout and energy performance.
One of the headphone’s basic requirements is to maintain a stable fit on the head and ears. The current study aimed to quantify head movement when wearing a headphone, and the results of this study illustrate an essential requirement for the durable design of headphones [1]. The study consisted of two phases: Phase 1 – The distribution of questionnaires to headphone users (n = 427). Of the 427 users who completed the questionnaires, 30 users volunteered to participate in phase 2 of the study – Observation and analysis involving head movements monitoring and video recording. Thirty healthy participants conducted their typical work activities in the office while the IMU recorded their head movement data. The research resulted in a basic requirement for stability of the headphone designs that inclined into the various positions of fit that the typical users wanted out from them with the least challenges.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore which factors may explain the high or low percentages of satisfied employees in offices with shared activity-based workplaces.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper compares data on employee satisfaction from two cases with remarkably high satisfaction scores and two cases with significantly lower satisfaction scores (total N = 930), all of the same organisation. These cases were selected from a database with employee responses to a standardised questionnaire in 52 flexible work environments. In the four case studies, also group interviews were conducted.
Findings
Overall, there are large differences in employee satisfaction between cases with, at first sight, a similar activity-based office concept. The main differences between the best and worst cases regard employee satisfaction with the interior design, level of openness, subdivision of space, number and diversity of work places and accessibility of the building. Employee satisfaction shows to be influenced by many physical characteristics of the work environment and by the implementation process. Satisfaction with the organisation may have an impact as well.
Research limitations/implications
Almost all cases regard Dutch organisations. Due to the lack of quantitative scales to define the physical characteristics of the work environment, the study is mainly descriptive and explorative and does not include advanced multivariate statistical analyses.
Practical implications
The data revealed clear critical success factors including a supportive spatial layout to facilitate communication and concentration, attractive architectural design, ergonomic furniture, appropriate storage facilities and coping with psychological and physical needs, such as privacy, thermal comfort, daylight and view. Critical process factors are the commitment of managers, a balance between a top-down and a bottom-up approach and clear instructions on how to use activity-based workplaces.
Originality/value
The study connects descriptive research with inductive reasoning to explore why employees may be satisfied or dissatisfied with flex offices. It is based on a combination of quantitative survey data from 52 cases and a closer look at two best cases and two worst cases based on qualitative data from interviews and personal observations. The study has high practical value due to the integral approach that incorporates many items of the physical environment and context factors like the implementation process.
Noise has repeatedly been shown to be one of the most recurrent reasons for complaints in open-plan office environments. The aim of the present study was to investigate if enhanced or worsened sound absorption in open-plan offices is reflected in the employees' ratings of disturbances, cognitive stress, and professional efficacy. Employees working on two different floors of an office building were followed as three manipulations were made in room acoustics on each of the two floors by means of less or more absorbing tiles & wall absorbents. For one of the floors, the manipulations were from better to worse to better acoustical conditions, while for the other the manipulations were worse to better to worse. The acoustical effects of these manipulations were assessed according to the new ISO-standard (ISO-3382-3, 2012) for open-plan rooms acoustics. In addition, the employees responded to questionnaires after each change. Our analyses showed that within each floor enhanced acoustical conditions were associated with lower perceived disturbances and cognitive stress. There were no effects on professional efficiency. The results furthermore suggest that even a small deterioration in acoustical room properties measured according to the new ISO-standard for open-plan office acoustics has a negative impact on self-rated health and disturbances. This study supports previous studies demonstrating the importance of acoustics in work environments and shows that the measures suggested in the new ISO-standard can be used to adequately differentiate between better and worse room acoustics in open plan offices.
Unlabelled:
This study uses a structural equation model to examine the effects of noise on self-rated job satisfaction and health in open-plan offices. A total of 334 employees from six open-plan offices in China and Korea completed a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire included questions assessing noise disturbances and speech privacy, as well as job satisfaction and health. The results indicated that noise disturbance affected self-rated health. Contrary to popular expectation, the relationship between noise disturbance and job satisfaction was not significant. Rather, job satisfaction and satisfaction with the environment were negatively correlated with lack of speech privacy. Speech privacy was found to be affected by noise sensitivity, and longer noise exposure led to decreased job satisfaction. There was also evidence that speech privacy was a stronger predictor of satisfaction with environment and job satisfaction for participants with high noise sensitivity. In addition, fit models for employees from China and Korea showed slight differences.
Practitioner summary:
This study is motivated by strong evidence that noise is the key source of complaints in open-plan offices. Survey results indicate that self-rated job satisfaction of workers in open-plan offices was negatively affected by lack of speech privacy and duration of disturbing noise.
In this article, we attempt to distinguish between the properties of moderator and mediator variables at a number of levels. First, we seek to make theorists and researchers aware of the importance of not using the terms moderator and mediator interchangeably by carefully elaborating, both conceptually and strategically, the many ways in which moderators and mediators differ. We then go beyond this largely pedagogical function and delineate the conceptual and strategic implications of making use of such distinctions with regard to a wide range of phenomena, including control and stress, attitudes, and personality traits. We also provide a specific compendium of analytic procedures appropriate for making the most effective use of the moderator and mediator distinction, both separately and in terms of a broader causal system that includes both moderators and mediators. (46 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
In the changing modern economy some new factors have been addressed that are of importance for productivity and economic growth, such as human skills, workplace organization, information and communication technologies (ICT) and knowledge sharing. An increasing number of companies and organizations are implementing measures to better address these factors, often referred to as 'the New Ways of Working (NWW)'. This consists of a large variety of measures that enable flexibility in the time and location of work. Expectations of these measures are often high, such as a reduction in operating costs and an increase of productivity. However, scientific proof is still lacking, and it is worth asking whether al these implementations actually cause a change in work behavior and effect business outcomes positively. This article describes a case study of three departments (total of 73 employees) that changed from a traditional way of working towards a new way of working. Questionnaires and a new developed objective measurement system called 'work@ task' were used to measure changes in work behavior (i.e. increased variation in work location, work times and a change towards NWW management style) and the effect on business objectives such as knowledge sharing, employees satisfaction, and collaboration.
Differences between office types may have an influence on the employees' satisfaction and psychological responses with respect to different aspects of the office environment. For this study, 469 employees rated their perceptions of and satisfaction with the office environments of seven different office types, which were classified as cell-office, shared-room office, small open-plan office, medium open-plan office, large open-plan office, flex-office, and combi-office. Three domains of environmental factors were analyzed: (1) ambient factors, (2) noise and privacy, and (3) design-related factors. Employee responses were evaluated using multivariate logistic and Poisson regression. Adjustments were made for potential confounders such as age, gender job rank, and line of business. Substantial differences between employees in different office types were found The analysis offrequencies in complaints within the three domains shows that noise and privacy is the domain that causes the most dissatisfaction among office employees. Cell-office employees are most satisfied with the physical environment overall, followed by those in flex-office. However, the results for cell-office are not uniformly best, since they score low with regard to the social aspects of design-related factors and, in particular, on support of affinity. The most dissatisfaction is reported in medium and large open-plan offices, where the complaints about noise and lack of privacy are especially negative. Architectural andfunctional features of the offices are discussed as the main explanatory factors for these results.
It is currently accepted that noise is one of the most important annoyance factors in open-space offices. However, noise levels measured in open spaces of the tertiary sector rarely exceed 65 dB(A). It, therefore, appears necessary to develop a tool that can be used to assess the noise environment of these offices and identify the parameters to be taken into consideration when assessing the noise annoyance. This article presents a questionnaire to be filled by people working in such environment, and a case study in different open plan offices. The majority of the 237 respondents consider that the ambient noise level in their environment is high and that intelligible conversations between their colleagues represent the main source of noise annoyance. This annoyance was significantly correlated with their evaluation of sound intensity, which could not be represented by A-weighted level measurements. Practitioner Summary: This article presents a short questionnaire aimed to evaluate the employees' comfort in an open-plan office and to propose optimal modifications of the office. Answers collected from 237 respondents showed that intelligible conversations represent the main source of noise annoyance; moreover, overall noise level is not related to this annoyance.
Unlabelled:
The effect of office type on sickness absence among office employees was studied prospectively in 1852 employees working in (1) cell-offices; (2) shared-room offices; (3) small, (4) medium-sized and (5) large open-plan offices; (6) flex-offices and (7) combi-offices. Sick leaves were self-reported two years later as number of (a) short and (b) long (medically certified) sick leave spells as well as (c) total number of sick leave days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used, with adjustment for background factors. A significant excess risk for sickness absence was found only in terms of short sick leave spells in the three open-plan offices. In the gender separate analysis, this remained for women, whereas men had a significantly increased risk in flex-offices. For long sick leave spells, a significantly higher risk was found among women in large open-plan offices and for total number of sick days among men in flex-offices.
Practitioner summary:
A prospective study of the office environment's effect on employees is motivated by the high rates of sick leaves in the workforce. The results indicate differences between office types, depending on the number of people sharing workspace and the opportunity to exert personal control as influenced by the features that define the office types.
Open-plan office layout is commonly assumed to facilitate communication and interaction between co-workers, promoting workplace satisfaction and team-work effectiveness. On the other hand, open-plan layouts are widely acknowledged to be more disruptive due to uncontrollable noise and loss of privacy. Based on the occupant survey database from Center for the Built Environment (CBE), empirical analyses indicated that occupants assessed Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) issues in different ways depending on the spatial configuration (classified by the degree of enclosure) of their workspace. Enclosed private offices clearly outperformed open-plan layouts in most aspects of IEQ, particularly in acoustics, privacy and the proxemics issues. Benefits of enhanced ‘ease of interaction’ were smaller than the penalties of increased noise level and decreased privacy resulting from open-plan office configuration.
This article investigates the hypothesis that office type has an influence on workers' health status and job satisfaction and 469 employees in seven different types, defined by their unique setup of architectural and functional features, have rated their health status and job satisfaction. Multivariate regression models were used for analysis of these outcomes, with adjustment for age, gender, job rank, and line of business. Both health status and job satisfaction differed between the seven office types. Lowest health status was found in medium-sized and small open plan offices. Best health was among employees in cell offices and flex offices. Workers in these types of offices and in shared room offices also rated the highest job satisfaction. Lowest job satisfaction was in combi offices, followed by medium-sized open plan offices. The differences between employees could possibly be ascribed to variations in architectural and functional features of the office types.
Purpose – Generic use of the term “knowledge worker” has resulted in a generic approach to designing office environments for this group. The purpose of this paper is to probe the mobility patterns and motivations of knowledge workers in order to provide a classification of different types of knowledge worker. Design/methodology/approach – The study was undertaken using a range of qualitative research methods including semi-structured interviews with 20 knowledge workers representing different levels of mobility and experience, ethnographic studies in a media company, real estate business and a public relations firm, and a user workshop. A novel drawing exercise was introduced to elicit responses during the interview process. Findings – Four knowledge worker “character types” emerged from the research: the Anchor and the Connector, who are mainly office-based, and the Gatherer and the Navigator, who work more widely afield. Research limitations/implications – This is a small study revealing characteristics particular to the participating individuals and organisations. However, it has wider implications in that the more complex set of requirements revealed by the project requires a more responsive and service-led approach to office design for knowledge workers and the development of new protocols of use within office space. Originality/value – The originality/value lies in giving designers and facilities managers an insight into the different needs of knowledge workers, who are commonly treated as a homogeneous group. The typologies are an active tool for better brief-making in design for creative facilities.
Purpose
– The activity‐based office concept of the modern office is set to increase productivity through the stimulation of interaction and communication while retaining employee satisfaction and reducing the accommodation costs. Although some research has gone into understanding the added value, there is still a need for sound data on the relationship between office design, its intentions and the actual use after implementation. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
– An evaluative study on the effectiveness of activity‐based office concepts was carried out to gain more insight in their use. The study included relevant literature on workplace design, combined with an observation and a survey of 182 end‐users from four different service organizations in The Netherlands.
Findings
– The findings from these case studies underline some known benefits and disadvantages of activity‐based office concepts, and provide insight in the importance of several physical, social and mental aspects of the office environment in employee choice behavior. This study shows that the office concept is not always used as intended what could result in a loss in productivity, illness and dissatisfaction. People's personal preferences seem to have a bigger effect on the use of certain types of workplaces than some workstation facilities, although ergonomics and IT equipment and systems are expected to be satisfactory everywhere. Misusage of the concept is often the consequence of critical design (process) failures.
Originality/value
– The originality of this research lies in the combination of studying the program of requirements, a questionnaire and most of all the observation in a quiet period, providing new information on choice behavior.
In the early 1990s, a few organisations in the Netherlands began to experiment with flexible workplaces. Traditional cellular offices and the open-plan offices or team-oriented bullpen spaces in which everyone had their own fixed workplace were no longer a matter of course. Making use of modern information and communication technology, the pioneers redirected their attention towards the sharing of activity related workplaces in a combi-office. Economic
considerations (eg low occupancy of expensive workplaces), organisational developments (network
organisations, teamwork, fast exchange of knowledge, part-time work) and external developments (globalisation, strong competition) are important drivers for change. The aim is to stimulate new ways of working (dynamic, less closely linked to place and time), to improve labour productivity and to make major cost
savings (fewer workplaces, fewer square metres), without reducing employee satisfaction. Since then a number of new offices have been realised. Twelve per cent of organisations that have moved recently use flexible workspaces for the most part or exclusively. An important question now is whether the aims have been achieved. What are the actual benefits? What are the risks? How should consultants advise their clients? The field is dominated by the
opinions of those in favour and those against. Statements expressing the successes or failures of flexible offices contradict each other. Hard data are almost lacking. Due to the scarcity of empirically supported insights, the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands together with the Centre for People and Buildings and the Centre for Facility Management are carrying out investigations into the costs and benefits of workplace innovation. This paper reports on progress so far, with a focus on employee satisfaction and labour productivity.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different academic office environments in supporting collaboration and privacy. Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of case studies involving post-occupancy questionnaire surveys of academic occupants. Findings – The combi-office design was found to be associated with higher levels of occupant satisfaction than the open-plan office design, with respect to support for collaboration and privacy. Research limitations/implications – The findings highlight the importance of understanding user requirements and the role of office space as a cognitive resource. Practical implications – Designers should consider the default location of occupants when designing academic and other creative workspaces. Social implications – Academic creativity and innovation are seen to be important for society. However, there needs to be a better understanding of how to support this through workspace design. Originality/value – This study contributes to the small but growing body of research on academic office design and creative workspaces in general.
The aim of the study was to investigate workers' perceptions of the acoustic environment of offices and study its relations to work performance and well-being. Questionnaire results from 11 companies and 689 respondents were analyzed. Occupants in private rooms and open offices were compared. Noise was the main indoor environmental problem in open offices. Speech was the most distracting source of noise in both office types but the degree of disturbance was lower in private rooms. About half of open office occupants and 20 % of occupants in private rooms were dissatisfied with acoustics. Office noise disturbed particularly conversations and tasks relying on working memory and verbal processes, such as text comprehension and creative thinking. Routine tasks were little disturbed by noise. In open offices, attempts to cope with noise reflected risk factors to individual productivity and well-being, such as taking extra breaks, compromising the quality of work, working overtime and exerting oneself harder. Self-estimated waste of daily working time due to noise was twofold in open offices. Open office workers experienced more stress symptoms, particularly overstrain and difficulties in concentration, and attributed these symptoms to office noise to a greater extent than workers in private rooms. Possibilities to influence issues related to one's work and work-space privacy were lower among open office occupants. The results suggests that private rooms are superior to open offices in all respects.
Studies of stress in the work environment pay little attention to features of the physical environment in which work is performed. Yet evidence is accumulating that the physical environment of work affects both job performance and job satisfaction. Contemporary research on stress in the work environment typically focuses on psychosocial factors that affect job performance, strain and employee health, and does not address the growing body of work on the environmental psychology of workspace. This paper reviews theory and research bearing on stress in the workplace and explores how current theory might be applied to the relationship between worker behaviour and physical features of the work environment. The paper proposes a theoretical model of the worker–workspace relationship in which stress and comfort play a critical part, and suggests a methodological approach on which to base future empirical studies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This study examined the independent and joint influences of stimulus screening, inhibitory ability, perceived privacy and task complexity on the satisfaction and performance of employees working in open-plan offices. One hundred and nine participants from two organizations completed questionnaires and inhibitory ability measures. Performance was assessed through manager ratings. Results partially confirmed hypotheses that satisfaction and performance would be reduced for employees with poor stimulus screening or poor inhibitory ability, low perceived privacy, or complex tasks. Expectations that these factors would interact to produce employees’ negative reactions were also partially confirmed. Importantly, results verify stimulus screening as a significant determinant of employees’ reactions to the open-plan workplace. Implications for understanding employees’ attitudinal and behavioral responses to the workplace, limitations of the study, and implications for future research are discussed.
Previous research suggests that, in open-plan offices, noise complaints may be related to the high intelligibility of speech. Distraction distance, which is based on the Speech Transmission Index, can be used to objectively describe the acoustic quality of open-plan offices. However, the relation between distraction distance and perceived noise disturbance has not been established in field studies. The aim of this study was to synthesize evidence from separate studies covering 21 workplaces (N=883 respondents) and a wide range of room acoustic conditions. The data included both questionnaire surveys and room acoustic measurements (ISO 3382-3). Distraction distance, the spatial decay rate of speech, speech level at 4 meters from the speaker and the average background noise level were examined as possible predictors of perceived noise disturbance. The data were analyzed with individual participant data meta-analysis. The results show that distracting background speech largely explains the overall perception of noise. An increase in distraction distance predicts an increase in disturbance by noise whereas the other quantities may not alone be associated with noise disturbance. The results support the role of room acoustic design, i.e., the simultaneous use of absorption, blocking and masking, in the attainment of good working conditions in open-plan offices.
Researchers interested in testing mediation often use designs where participants are measured on a dependent variable Y and a mediator M in both of 2 different circumstances. The dominant approach to assessing mediation in such a design, proposed by Judd, Kenny, and McClelland (2001), relies on a series of hypothesis tests about components of the mediation model and is not based on an estimate of or formal inference about the indirect effect. In this article we recast Judd et al.'s approach in the path-analytic framework that is now commonly used in between-participant mediation analysis. By so doing, it is apparent how to estimate the indirect effect of a within-participant manipulation on some outcome through a mediator as the product of paths of influence. This path-analytic approach eliminates the need for discrete hypothesis tests about components of the model to support a claim of mediation, as Judd et al.'s method requires, because it relies only on an inference about the product of paths-the indirect effect. We generalize methods of inference for the indirect effect widely used in between-participant designs to this within-participant version of mediation analysis, including bootstrap confidence intervals and Monte Carlo confidence intervals. Using this path-analytic approach, we extend the method to models with multiple mediators operating in parallel and serially and discuss the comparison of indirect effects in these more complex models. We offer macros and code for SPSS, SAS, and Mplus that conduct these analyses. (PsycINFO Database Record
Purpose – Despite their growing popularity among organisations, satisfaction with activity-based work (ABW) environments is found to be below expectations. Research also suggests that workers typically do not switch frequently, or not at all, between different activity settings. Hence, the purpose of this study is to answer two main questions: Is switching behaviour related to satisfaction with ABW environments? Which factors may explain switching behaviour?
Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire data provided by users of ABW environments
(n 3,189) were used to carry out ANOVA and logistic regression analyses.
Findings – Satisfaction ratings of the 4 per cent of the respondents who switched several times a day appeared to be signi cantly above average. Switching frequency was found to be positively related to heterogeneity of the activity pro le, share of communication work and external mobility.
Practical implications – Our ndings suggest that satisfaction with ABW environments might be enhanced by stimulating workers to switch more frequently. However, as strong objections against switching were observed and switching frequently does not seem to be compatible with all work patterns, this will presumably not work for everyone. Many workers are likely to be more satis ed if provided with an assigned (multifunctional) workstation.
The purpose of this study was to provide evidence that there is a relationship between the quality of the physical environment and employee satisfaction.A quasi-field experiment was conducted in an open-plan office of 135 employees. The office was refurbished in various ways to achieve e.g. better thermal conditions, visual and acoustic privacy, ergonomics, interior design, and lower spatial density. All employees were sent a questionnaire twice: before and after the refurbishment. The physical measurements were also conducted twice. Significant improvements were found in nearly all inquired aspects of environmental satisfaction. They could be logically traced to the physical changes provided by the refurbishment. The improvements could also be supported by the physical measurements. Both environmental and job satisfaction were improved. Qualified change management, involvement of employees and carefully designed refurbishment agenda were together believed to be the main reasons for the improvement of job satisfaction.
The study examined the effects of office space occupation, psychosocial work characteristics, and environmental satisfaction on physical and mental health of office workers in small-sized and open-plan offices as well as possible underlying mechanisms. Office space occupation was characterized as number of persons per one enclosed office space. 207 office employees with similar jobs in offices with different space occupation were surveyed regarding their work situation (psychosocial work characteristics, satisfaction with privacy, acoustics, and control) and health (psychosomatic complaints, irritation, mental well-being, and work ability). Binary logistic and linear regression analyses as well as bootstrapped mediation analyses were used to determine associations and underlying mechanisms. Employee health was significantly associated with all work characteristics. Psychosocial work stressors had the strongest relation to physical and mental health (OR range: 1.66 to 3.72). The effect of office space occupation on employee health was mediated by stressors and environmental satisfaction, but not by psychosocial work resources. As assumed by sociotechnical approaches, a higher number of persons per enclosed office space was associated with adverse health effects. However, the strongest associations were found with psychosocial work stressors. When revising office design, a holistic approach to work (re)design is needed. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
