The impact of office layout on productivity

Journal of Facilities Management - 2008
Barry P.Haynes1
1Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK

Tóm tắt

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact office layout has on office occupiers' productivity.Design/methodology/approachThe paper evaluates the literature that claims to make a linkage between the office layout and the effect on office occupiers' productivity. Two main themes are developed. First, the literature that links office layout to work patterns is evaluated, and second, the open‐plan office vs cellular office debate is developed.FindingsThe review of the literature reveals that the connection between the three major components of office layout, office occupiers' work patterns and productivity is not clearly established.Originality/valueThe paper establishes that there is a requirement to link together office layout to the work patterns of office occupiers. It is only when the connection is made between the office layout and the office occupiers' work patterns that productivity gains can be achieved. To support the different work patterns undertaken, the facilities manager can create office environments that consist of a balance between private space and communal shared space. The amount of balance will be very much dependent on the mix of the work patterns in the office.

Từ khóa


Tài liệu tham khảo

Allen, T., Bell, A., Graham, R., Hardy, B. and Swaffer, F. (2005), Working without Walls: An Insight into the Transforming Government Workplace, Office of Government Commerce, London.

Becker, F. (1990), The Total Workplace: Facilities Management and the Elastic Organization, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY.

Becker, F. (2002), “Improving organisational performance by exploiting workplace flexibility”, Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 1 No. 2, pp. 154‐62.

Becker, F. (2004), Offices at Work, Jossey‐Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Bradley, S. and Hood, C. (2003), “Delivering minimalist workplaces that improve corporate agility”, Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 68‐84.

Brennan, A., Chugh, J. and Kline, T. (2002), “Traditional versus open office design: a longitudinal field study”, Environment & Behavior, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 279‐99.

Brill, M., Weidemann and the BOSTI Associates (2001), Disproving Widespread Myths about Workplace Design, Kimball International, Jasper.

Brill, M., Keable, E. and Fabiniak, J. (2000), “The myth of open plan”, Facilities Design and Management, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 36‐9.

Brill, M., Marguilis, S.T., Konar, E. and BOSTI (1985), Using Office Design to Increase Productivity, Vol. 1&2, Workplace Design and Productivity Inc., Buffalo, NY.

Burke, K. and Chidambaram, L. (1999), “An assessment of change in behavioral dynamics among computer‐supported groups: different factors change at different rates”, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 99 No. 7, pp. 288‐95.

CABE (2005), The Impact of Office Design on Business Performance, The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment and the British Council for Offices, London.

Gensler (2005), These Four Walls: The Real British Office, Gensler, London.

Haynes, B.P. (2005), “Workplace connectivity: a study of its impact on self‐assessed productivity”, PhD thesis, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield.

Haynes, B.P. (2007a), “An evaluation of office productivity measurement”, Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 144‐55.

Haynes, B. (2007b), “Office productivity: a theoretical framework”, Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 9 No. 2, pp. 97‐110.

Haynes, B. (2007c), “Office productivity: a shift from cost reduction to human contribution”, Facilities, Vol. 25 Nos 11/12, pp. 452‐62.

Haynes, B. (2007d), “The impact of the behavioural environment on office productivity”, Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 5 No. 3, pp. 158‐71.

Haynes, B. (2008), “The impact of office comfort on productivity”, Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 6 No. 1, pp. 37‐51.

Haynes, B., Matzdorf, F., Nunnington, N., Ogunmakin, C., Pinder, J. and Price, I. (2000), Does Property Benefit Occupiers? An Evaluation of the Literature, Report No. 1, available at: www.occupier.org.

Ilozor, B.D. and Oluwoye, J.O. (1999), “Open‐plan measures in the determination of facilities space management”, Facilities, Vol. 17 Nos 7/8, pp. 237‐45.

Ilozor, B.D., Love, P.E.D. and Treloar, G. (2002), “The impact of work settings on organisational performance measures in built facilities”, Facilities, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 61‐7.

Laframboise, D., Nelson, R.L. and Schmaltz, J. (2003), “Managing resistance to change in workplace accommodation projects”, Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 1 No. 5, pp. 306‐21.

Laing, A., Duffy, F., Jaunzens, D. and Willis, S. (1998), New Environments for Working: The Redesign of Offices and the Environmental Systems for New Ways of Working, E. and F.N. Spon, London.

Marquardt, C.J.G., Veitch, J.A. and Charles, K.E. (2002), Environmental Satisfaction with Open‐Plan Office Furniture Design and Layout, IRC‐RR‐106, Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa.

Mawson, A. (2002), The Workplace and its Impact on Productivity, Advanced Workplace Associates, London, available at: www.occupier.org.

Nathan, M. and Doyle, J. (2002), The State of the Office: The Politics and Geography of Working Space, Industrial Society, London.

Stallworth, O.E. and Ward, L.M. (1996), “Recent developments in office design”, Facilities, Vol. 14 Nos 1/2, pp. 34‐42.

Van der Voordt, T.J.M. (2004), “Productivity and employee satisfaction in flexible workplaces”, Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 6 No. 2, p. 133.

Veitch, J.A., Farley, K.M.F. and Newsham, G.R. (2002), Environmental Satisfaction with Open‐plan Environments: 1. Scale Validation and Methods, IRC‐IR‐844, Institute for Research in Construction, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa.

Bradley, S. (2002), “What's working: briefing and evaluating workplace performance improvement”, Journal of Corporate Real Estate, Vol. 4 No. 2, pp. 150‐9.

Thông tin
Thông tin xuất bản

Journal of Facilities Management

Thông tin tác giả