September 28, 2009—Work productivity and morale could be improved by a third by giving employees the freedom to develop the look and feel of their own office environment, according to research titled, Enrich the office and engage your staff: why lean is mean, featuring psychological research developed over four years and backed by Ambius, the global leader in bringing plants, art and ambient scenting to the workplace, and a division of the Rentokil Initial plc group.
The evidence suggests that empowering employees to explore their creative side and “make their desk their home” has a marked impact on their performance and sense of well being.
The research, developed in partnership with the University of Exeter, suggests that the prevailing preference for “lean space,” typified by a uniform approach to design, generally leads to a heightened sense of alienation among employees, discomfort in the workplace and symptoms of sick building syndrome. “The study’s findings particularly resonate in these tough economic times, when companies are more reliant than ever on productive and energetic workforces,” said Jeff Mariola, Divisional Managing Director for Ambius overseeing European and North American businesses.
In comparison to colleagues working in a lean environment (i.e. a spartan office with cleared desks), people empowered to develop aspects of their own workspace showed average increases of 27 percent in feelings of well-being and 32 percent in productivity.
The research also suggests that even considerate and potentially expensive office design will, on its own, fall short of contributing a full sense of identity with the host organization. Managerially imposed design which enriches the working environment resulted in productivity increases of more than 15 percent, when compared to a lean space. This is quite an improvement, but it is markedly less than the gains achieved by office workers empowered to develop their own space.
The research from Ambius is available online.
