News Designing your own workspace health, happiness anc · Management Services News Designing your...
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Management Services News Designing your own workspace health, happiness anc One of the study participants gets to work in an 'enriched' office E mployees who have control over the design and layout of their workspace are not only happier and healthier - they're also up to 32% more productive, according to new research from the University of Exeter. Studies by the University's School of Psychology have revealed the potential for remarkable improvements in workers' attitudes to their jobs by allowing them to personalise their offices. The findings challenge the conventional approach taken by most companies, where managers often create a 'lean' working environment that reflects a standardised corporate identity. Dr Craig Knight conducted the research as part of his PhD and is now director of PRISM, a company that deals with space issues in the workplace. "When people feel uncomfortable in their surroundings they are less engaged - not only with the space but also with what they do in it. If they can have some control, that all changes and people report being happier at work, identifying more with their employer, and being more efficient when doing their jobs." The research involved more than 2000 office workers in a series of studies looking at attitudes to - and productivity within - working space. This included two surveys of workers' attitudes carried out via online questionnaires, as well as two experiments which examined workers' efficiency when carrying out tasks under different conditions. The surveys assessed the level of control that workers had over their space - ranging from none at all to being fully consulted over design changes. Workers were then asked a series of questions about how they felt about their workspace and their jobs. Results consistently showed that the more control people had over their office spaces, the happier and more motivated they were in their jobs. They felt physically more comfortable at work, identified more with their employers, and felt more Another participant tries to get on with the tasks in a lean office
Transcript of News Designing your own workspace health, happiness anc · Management Services News Designing your...
Management ServicesNews
Designing your own workspacehealth, happiness anc
One ofthe study
participantsgets to
work in an'enriched'
office
Employees who havecontrol over the designand layout of their
workspace are not onlyhappier and healthier -they're also up to 32% moreproductive, according to newresearch from the Universityof Exeter.
Studies by the University'sSchool of Psychology haverevealed the potential forremarkable improvementsin workers' attitudes totheir jobs by allowing themto personalise their offices.The findings challenge theconventional approach takenby most companies, wheremanagers often create a'lean' working environmentthat reflects a standardisedcorporate identity.
Dr Craig Knight conductedthe research as part of hisPhD and is now directorof PRISM, a company thatdeals with space issues in the
workplace. "When peoplefeel uncomfortable in theirsurroundings they are lessengaged - not only with thespace but also with what theydo in it. If they can have somecontrol, that all changes and
people report being happierat work, identifying more withtheir employer, and beingmore efficient when doingtheir jobs."
The research involved morethan 2000 office workers in
a series of studies looking atattitudes to - and productivitywithin - working space. Thisincluded two surveys ofworkers' attitudes carried outvia online questionnaires, aswell as two experiments whichexamined workers' efficiencywhen carrying out tasks underdifferent conditions.
The surveys assessed thelevel of control that workershad over their space - rangingfrom none at all to beingfully consulted over designchanges. Workers were thenasked a series of questionsabout how they felt abouttheir workspace and theirjobs.
Results consistently showedthat the more control peoplehad over their office spaces,the happier and moremotivated they were in theirjobs. They felt physicallymore comfortable at work,identified more with theiremployers, and felt more
Anotherparticipanttries to geton with thetasks in alean office
NewsManagement Services 7
m proves
productivitypositive about their jobs ingeneral.
Two further studies, one atthe University and anotherin commercial offices, sawparticipants take on a seriesof tasks in a workspacethat was either lean (bareand functional), enriched(decorated with plantsand pictures), empowered(allowing the individualto design the area) ordisempowered (where theindividual's design wasredesigned by a 'manager').
People working in enrichedspaces were 17% moreproductive than those in lean
spaces, but those sitting atempowered desks were evenmore efficient - being 32%more productive than theirlean counterparts, withoutany increase in errors.
Professor Alex Haslam, whoco-authored the research,said it was time for managersto recognise the potentialimprovements that can bemade by handing somecontrol of space over toworkers and thereby givingthem an opportunity to realisetheir own identity in theworkplace.
He said: "Not only doesoffice design determine
whether people's backs ache,it has the potential to affecthow much they accomplish,how much initiative they take,and their overall professionalsatisfaction. Further researchthat we and others havecarried out also highlightsstrong links between a lack ofcontrol over workspace andsickness in the office.
"All this could have a hugeimpact for firms of any size,yet employers rarely consider
the psychological ramificationsof the way they managespace. By paying moreattention to employees' needsthey can boost wellbeing andproductivity at minimal cost."
The research was carriedout with the help of Ambius,a firm which specialises inproviding services to enrichworkspaces for businesses,supported by the Economicand Social Research Council(ESRC).
The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largestorganisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supportsindependent, high-quality research which has an impact on business, thepublic sector and the third sector. The ESRC's total expenditure in 2009/10was about £211 million. At any one time the ESRC supports more than4000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions andindependent research institutes.
The work of Craig Knight and Alex Haslam is published in two researchpapers. Your Place or Mine? Organizational Identification and Comfort asMediators of Relationships Between the Managerial Control of Workspaceand Employees' Satisfaction and Well-being, published in the British Journalof Management.
The Relative Merits of Lean, Enriched, and Empowered Offices: AnExperimental Examination of the Impact of Workspace ManagementStrategies on Well-Being and Productivity is published in the Journal ofExperimental Psychology: Applied.
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