The Impact of the Office Environment - Essay Sample

Introduction

An office environment can best be defined as a location where a task is completed. When referring to a place of employment the work environment involves the physical geographical location as well as its immediate surroundings. It also involves other factors relating to the place of employment such as the quality of breathing air, noise level, benefits received and others such as adequate parking. Many studies have consistently demonstrated that characteristics of the physical office environment can have a significant effect on behaviors, perceptions, and productivity of employees.

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According to Oldham and Richford (552), there is very little known about the impact that office characteristics such as density and openness might have on the effective and behavioral reactions of employees. It is suggested that each of the characteristics influences the number of interpersonal contacts among employees in an office. High levels of interpersonal contacts are also expected in dense settings largely because social interactions would be more prevalent where there is relatively little distance between employees. Office characteristics that promote high interpersonal contact may affect employee reactions directly or indirect. Office characteristics may affect intervening variables which in turn affect employee reactions to the work and work settings - looking at office daylighting and electric lighting conditions on visual comfort, alertness, and mood (Borisuit et al., 203) lighting conditions in workplaces contribute to a variety of factors related to work satisfaction, productivity, and wellbeing. Many employees prefer daylighting for visual acceptance and glare. Office employees spend a lot of their time inside a building, where the physical environment influence their wellbeing, and directly influence their work performance and productivity in the workplace (Kamarulzaman et al., 265). It is often assumed that employees who are more satisfied with the physical environment are more likely to produce better work outcomes. Temperatures, air quality, lighting, and noise conditions in the office affect work concentration and productivity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the office environment has great impact on the productivity of the employee in their workplace. Many factors have featured in terms of what constitutes a work environment. Things such as the quality of air, temperature, lighting, noise levels adequate parking spaces and other benefits emanating from employment itself highly contribute to the productivity of employees. Also about the space available and the rate at which interactions can happen in an organization, this can greatly affect employee's productivity in the long run. An office environment can simply be taken as a general term to explain all the other factors that constitute an office. All these factors need to be all unified and in good condition to ensure a good and favorable working condition for all employees.

Works Cited

Borisuit, A et al. "Effects Of Realistic Office Daylighting And Electric Lighting Conditions On

Visual Comfort, Alertness And Mood." Lighting Research & Technology 47.2 (2014): 192-209. Web.

Kamarulzaman, N. et al. "An Overview Of The Influence Of Physical Office Environments

Towards Employee." Procedia Engineering 20 (2011): 262-268. Web.

Oldham, Greg R., and Nancy L. Rotchford. "Relationships Between Office Characteristics And

Employee Reactions: A Study Of The Physical Environment." Administrative Science Quarterly 28.4 (1983): 542. Web.