Spatial investigations of the work environment : investigating the impact of workplace design on employee’s productivity, creativity and wellbeing in the Maltese context

Abstract

People spend more than one-third of their life at the workplace, thus making it an integral part of their lives. This area of study has regained importance after the pandemic made us rethink the effectiveness of work environments. The workplace should maximise the employees’ potential by encouraging productivity and boosting creativity, both of which are difficult to achieve without regard to an employee’s wellbeing. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of workplace design on employees’ productivity, creativity and wellbeing for knowledge workers in the Maltese context. The areas of focus concerning workplace design were recreational spaces, furniture considerations, colour, biophilia and natural light as informed by a review of related literature. The relationship between such elements and the variables of interest was explored for three different sectors of work, namely the government, financial and gaming sectors. The industries were strategically chosen to compare and contrast work environments on different ends of the spectrum with respect to their regard to workplace design. This dissertation combines both the perspective of employers through the use of semi-structured interviews as well as that of employees through questionnaires distributed to each respective organisation studied. High productivity also appears to coincide with the presence of biophilia and with the use of ergonomic furniture such as standing desks. Creativity was also connected to the presence of colour, with exposure to plants and natural light playing an important role. Lastly, high levels of wellbeing not only coincide with having a biophilic, colourful environment but also with the presence of a recreational area within the workplace. This study concludes with a summary of which design features could be most effective in targeting an increase in productivity, creativity and wellbeing amongst the workforce, assuming that is the common aim.