Productivity drivers of knowledge workers in the central London office environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Chadburn ◽  
Judy Smith ◽  
Joshua Milan
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Office Environment ◽  
Individual Preferences ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Office Space ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Personal Productivity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the drivers that allow for enhanced personal productivity of knowledge-based workers in Central London focusing on the physical and social environment as well as worker’s individual preferences. Design/methodology/approach A closed-ended questionnaire was sent to employees of eight professional companies (Consultancy, Financial and Media Services) based in Central London. Of the 500 questionnaires sent, 213 were successfully completed and returned, representing a response rate of 42.6 per cent. Findings The findings from this trial study show that comfort, convenience, IT connectivity, good design and working to a specific time scale were strong drivers of personal productivity. Knowledge workers prefer a flexible range of office settings that enable both a stimulating open and connected work environment, knowledge sharing, collaboration, as well as quiet concentration locations, free of distractions and noise. It was also found that moves of knowledge workers into open-plan office space (and especially fee earners) is normally met with initial resistance. However, there is normally greater acceptance of open space after experiencing an actual move into open-plan, with benefits improving teamwork and communication being highlighted. The research also stresses that office design considerations need to be closer aligned with knowledge worker’s overall well-being and individual psychological needs. Research limitations/implications Limited to Central London offices and self-assessed evaluation of productivity drivers within the knowledge worker’s office environment. Practical implications Corporate real estate managers and office occupiers, designers and facilities managers can use the findings as part of their workplace strategy by providing a range of flexible workplaces that allow the knowledge worker a place for greater personal productivity through the provision of a well-designed collaborative office environment alongside private and quiet working spaces. Developers and landlords should also be aware of these requirements when taking their decisions. Originality/value This paper focuses specifically on the high-productivity knowledge-based work environment, demonstrating that there is a need to consider the collaborative physical and social environment and the individual preferences of knowledge workers to ensure enhanced personal productivity and well-being within the office. This can be achieved through the provision of a well-designed office space that allows for open, connected and comfortable work environments, as well as opportunities to use dedicated concentration spaces that are free of distraction. It was also shown that hot-desking was unanimously disliked by knowledge workers.

Slowing work down by teleworking periodically in rural settings?

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Vesala ◽  
Seppo Tuomivaara
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Occupational Position ◽  
Work Related ◽  
As Stress

Purpose – The rise of knowledge work has entailed controversial characteristics for well-being at work. Increased intensification, discontinuities and interruptions at work have been reported. However, knowledge workers have the opportunity to flexibly adjust their work arrangements to support their concentration, inspiration or recuperation. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the experienced well-being of 46 knowledge workers was subject to changes during and after a retreat type telework period in rural archipelago environment. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a longitudinal survey among the participants at three points in time: one to three weeks before, during, and two to eight weeks after the period. The authors analyzed the experienced changes in psychosocial work environment and well-being at work by the measurement period by means of repeated measures variance analysis. In the next step the authors included the group variable of occupational position to the model. Findings – The analysis showed a decrease in the following measures: experienced time pressure, interruptions, negative feelings at work, exhaustiveness of work as well as stress and an increase in work satisfaction. There were no changes in experienced job influence, clarity of work goals and work engagement. Occupational position had some effect to the changes. Private entrepreneurs and supervisors experienced more remarkable effects of improvement in work-related well-being than subordinates. However, the effects were less sustainable for the supervisors than the other two groups. Originality/value – This paper provides insights into how work and well-being are affected by the immediate work environment and how well-being at work can be supported by retreat type telework arrangements.

Work environment transformation in the post COVID-19 based on work values of the future workforce

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fruzsina Pataki-Bittó ◽  
Kata Kapusy
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Work Values ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Value Theory ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Generation Z ◽  
The Future ◽  
Work Value

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out the future workforce’s work values and, based on them, to examine the work environment Generation Z are looking for in the situation of job search. Moreover, this study aims to provide ideas for organizations on how to transform the work environment for the post-COVID-19 era to attract and retain employees, especially the members of Generation Z. Design/methodology/approach The research design is based on the theory development method. Data were generated and collected from 28 focus groups and a survey (n = 773). First, initial coding was done with an affinity diagram, followed by the intermediate coding phase, when the authors compared the codings’ results and selected the core data. Finally, the advanced coding resulted in a work value model, which presents Generation Z’s core work value categories. Findings The paper presents a work value theory for Generation Z, which reflects their expectations of the physical work environment and the flexible work arrangements among the work values. To prepare for the post-COVID-19 era, this study suggests organizations applying hybrid working models. Practical implications Based on impacts and expected transformations in office work in the post-COVID-19 era, the paper calls attention to the critical management issues concerning Generation Z’s preferences and expectations. Originality/value The findings propose a broader work value theory approach that highlights the work environment’s convenience features and integrates values that support the employees’ desired lifestyle and well-being.

scholarly journals What happens to the physical and psychosocial work environment when activity-based offices are introduced into academia?

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 230-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Berthelsen ◽  
Tuija Muhonen ◽  
Susanna Toivanen
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychosocial Work Environment ◽  
Psychosocial Work ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

PurposeThere is an increased interest for introducing activity-based offices at universities. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge about the importance of the built environment for the psychosocial work environment within academia by analyzing how staff at a large Swedish university experienced the physical and psychosocial work environment before and after moving to activity-based offices.Design/methodology/approachA Web-based survey was distributed to all employees at two faculties at a university three months before (2015,n= 217, response rate 51 per cent) and nine months after (2016,n= 200, response rate 47 per cent) relocation to a new activity-based university building.FindingsIn the new premises, a vast majority (86 per cent) always occupied the same place when possible, and worked also more often from home. The social community at work had declined and social support from colleagues and supervisors was perceived to have decreased. The participants reported a lower job satisfaction after the relocation and were more likely to seek new jobs. No aspects in the physical or psychosocial work environment were found to have improved after the relocation.Research/limitations implicationsThe study had a two-wave cross-sectional design, which does not allow establishing causal relations.Practical implicationsThere is reason to be cautious about relocation to activity-based offices at universities. The potential savings in costs for premises may lead to may be followed by an increase in other costs. The risk that staff cannot concentrate on their work in activity-based university workplaces and lose their sense of community with colleagues are factors, which in the long run may lead to decreased efficiency, more conflicts and poorer well-being.Originality/valueThis paper contributes with new knowledge concerning changes in the physical and psychosocial work environment when relocating from cell offices to activity-based offices in a university setting.

The influence of office type on satisfaction and perceived productivity support

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris De Been ◽  
Marion Beijer
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Office Environment ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this research is to determine whether the type of office environment has an impact on satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support. Design/methodology/approach – Three office types that are most common in The Netherlands were distinguished: individual and shared room offices, combi offices and flex offices. 11,799 respondents filled out a questionnaire measuring satisfaction with the work environment and its contribution to productivity. Findings – Regression analysis was used to investigate whether these factors were influenced by office type. Results show that office type is a significant predictor. While in combi and flex offices people can choose to work at diverse workspaces, people evaluate productivity support, concentration and privacy less positive than people working in individual and shared room offices. In combi offices, but not in flex offices, people are more satisfied with communication than in individual and shared room offices. Practical implications – Nevertheless, satisfaction with the organization explains the most variance with regard to satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support. Originality/value – In The Netherlands, there are a lot of office buildings with a combi or flexible office concept. The large dataset on which the comparison is based, is a real plus for the research.

Employee well-being in a stressful work environment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Employee Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Work Contexts

Purpose Psychological capital and perceived organizational justice are important personal and job-related resources with scope to positively affect employee health in stressful work contexts. Delivering programs to develop these resources together with a focus on increasing work engagement can best help generate desired outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.  Findings Psychological capital and perceived organizational justice are important personal and job-related resources with scope to positively affect employee health in stressful work contexts. Delivering programs to develop these resources together with a focus on increasing work engagement can best help generate desired outcomes. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Instilling affective commitment: insights on what makes knowledge workers want to stay

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharmila Jayasingam ◽  
Muhiniswari Govindasamy ◽  
Sharan Kaur Garib Singh
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Knowledge Worker ◽  
Knowledge Retention ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This study aims to examine factors that may influence affective organizational commitment among knowledge workers. The five final factors considered in this study include knowledge-sharing culture, autonomy, workplace value identity, promotion practices and, finally, management support. Gender was included as the moderator for the aforementioned relationships. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 522 knowledge workers from manufacturing, retail and service sector anonymously completed a structured questionnaire that included measures of the variables of this study. Hierarchical regression was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The findings provide evidence on the possible factors that organizations need to focus on and improvise to ensure the “want to remain in the organization” sentiment is enhanced among knowledge workers. Workplace value identity and knowledge-sharing culture were identified as the pertinent factors in influencing affective commitment. Gender was found to moderate the relationship between unfair promotion practice, knowledge-sharing culture and affective commitment. Research limitations/implications – One obvious limitation is that the sample of this study is sourced from a pool of knowledge workers. This limits our ability to conduct a comparative analysis with non-knowledge workers. Hence, future research could expand the model of this study to compare these relationships among knowledge and non-knowledge worker. Practical implications – Understanding the impact of these factors in a knowledge-based context helps firms prioritize and focus on important factors that can improve the level of affective commitment among knowledge workers. Doing so facilitates knowledge retention and prevents loss of knowledge. Originality/value – From a knowledge-based view, this paper identified factors that play an important role in retaining knowledge workers through enhanced affective commitment. With the changing workforce, the findings of this study show how knowledge-sharing culture and achievement orientation dominate affective commitment in a knowledge-based context.

scholarly journals Leadership for a healthy work environment – a question about who, what and how

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Åsa Vidman ◽  
Annika Strömberg
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Turnover ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthy Work Environment ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
Healthy Work

Purpose Recruiting and retaining staff to work with elderly people in social care is a global issue. The quality of leadership is considered important because it influences employees’ job satisfaction, job turnover and health. This paper aims to identify leadership that employees in residential elderly care facilities in Sweden consider as contributing towards a healthy work environment. Design/methodology/approach The authors interviewed 14 persons employed in facilities organized in different ways. The data from these interviews was analysed using qualitative content analysis.. Findings The results showed that the employees felt that their health partly depended on the attributes that leaders possessed, what leaders do and how leaders do it. This study confirms that leadership influences the perception of a healthy workplace. It also shows that questions about leadership are complex. Originality/value Research about factors that increase health risks is wide-ranging; however, research that examines factors that promote health, especially how leadership influences employees’ well-being, is not as comprehensive.

Hospital employees’ perceptions of circadian lighting: a pharmacy department case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 422-437
Author(s):  
Lindsay J. McCunn ◽  
Jeremy Wright
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Psychosocial Variables ◽  
Affective Organizational Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Physical Work Environment

Purpose An interdisciplinary body of literature has focused on the role of lighting in mitigating patient and employee stress and error-producing conditions in hospital settings. The purpose of this study is to explore how a new circadian lighting system installed in a small pharmacy unit with no penetration of natural light is experienced by staff. Psychosocial variables, such as affective organizational commitment, perceived productivity, well-being, and satisfaction with the physical work environment, were measured to further a line of inquiry that may help facilities managers and hospital administrators make optimal choices when purchasing lighting and commissioning retrofits. Design/methodology/approach Post-occupancy evaluation; mixed methods survey design. Findings While affective organizational commitment, perceived productivity, well-being and satisfaction with the physical work environment were experienced, to some extent, by employees, low average responses about whether the setting had improved, as the circadian lighting had been installed suggest that the retrofit did not affect them as positively as expected. Counter to the intention of the installation, participants did not perceive the circadian lighting as having strongly improved their levels of stress, concentration, mood or fatigue at work. Originality/value More research on simulated daylighting should be done to optimize occupant responses to lighting retrofits in hospitals. This case study supports recommendations to measure relevant psychosocial variables before and after a design change. Similarly, sized units within hospitals and health care facilities that possess analogous dimensions and design constraints concerning a lack of daylight penetration will benefit from this study’s mixed methods, results and interpretations.

Activity-based work and its implications for the academic work environment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuija Muhonen ◽  
Hanne Berthelsen
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe aim of the current interview study was to investigate how the university staff and their immediate managers perceived the academic work environment after a transition to activity-based workplaces (ABW).Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted with 11 university lecturers/researchers and 12 academic middle managers, that is, heads of departments or units in a Swedish university.FindingsThe qualitative content analysis revealed four central themes indicating how the academic environment had been affected: challenges related to decision-making and implementation of ABW, interpersonal relations and communication, consequences for academic identity and issues related to the physical work environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe non-purposive sampling of participants coming from a single university is a limitation of the current study. More studies are needed to deepen the knowledge and to further corroborate the transferability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe savings the universities expect to achieve in terms of reduced costs for premises, when introducing ABW, may lead to other kinds of costs, such as jeopardizing employee performance, comfort and well-being. It is therefore important that the academic staff is empowered and involved during the planning and implementation process of new offices.Originality/valueThe study contributes new knowledge concerning implementation of ABW and its consequences for the academic work environment.

The well-being of women at work: the importance of resources across the life course

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxane L. Gervais ◽  
Prudence Millear
Keyword(s):  
Women Workers ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Life Course

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that impact on the well-being of women workers, as assessed through depression, anxiety and stress, across the life course, i.e. age, marital status and parental status. Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative study was cross-sectional in nature and used an online self-report questionnaire to generate information on job/work characteristics, belief systems and demographic variables. A snowball sample was used to recruit the respondents. Findings – The results showed that the availability of resources was the influencing factor in women workers maintaining their well-being. Those respondents with resources, such as job autonomy and support from colleagues, were less likely to be depressed, anxious or stressed. The life course was not an influencing factor in the models tested suggesting that regardless of women's stage in life, they require appropriate resources to address the demands of the work environment, to maintain their well-being. Practical implications – The implications of this study are that when considering diversity in the work environment, it is important to assess if all workers have the resources they require to cope with the demands of the workplace. Originality/value – This present study outlines the importance of the life course in the context of the workplace, but highlights also that it is only one perspective and that others should be considered; such as those factors that are inherent in improving well-being and relationships within organisations.

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