The impact of the physical work environment on employees' productivity in an organization

Abstract

Studies referring to the physical work environment tend to refer to the physical parameters of the tasks being performed, rather than the physical features of workspace. Nevertheless, the concept of workspace is expanding, and organizations are now considering cost measures to improve the quality of the design of the workspace. Due to these reasons, this quantitative study sought to investigate the impact of an ergonomic physical environment on employees' perceived productivity in an organization. The supportive physical environmental factors considered were: temperature, lighting, noise, furniture and spatial arrangement. Furniture (N = 102, r = 0.38, p < 0.01) and noise (N = 102, r = 0.43, p < 0.01) were the two parameters that emerged as significant predictors of employee productivity. Research findings indicated the importance of integrating the discipline of ergonomics into the organization, specifically by providing employees with a comfortable, supportive environment for enhanced productivity.