This chapter examines the factors that impact productivity in the workplace and effect individual well-being. The conventional notion of the workplace as somewhere that is fixed and occupied by a permanent body of personnel has given way to more flexible arrangements for both personnel and how space is used.
Proper understanding of satisfaction and performance of personnel in the working environment requires examination of a complex set of interacting subsystems, including physical environmental factors, job characteristics, organizational factors, sociocultural characteristics and past experience of personnel.
The following points, among many others, are covered in the chapter.
- Well-being has become a focus for attention for good reason – the physical and mental health of personnel is too important to attract anything less than the highest consideration.
- The relationship between the well-being of personnel and workplace performance and productivity must be properly understood.
- While well-being is largely subjective, this should not be an excuse for failing to measure and understand it; in fact, legislation is increasing to ensure that the concerns of individuals receive appropriate attention.
- Stress is one manifestation of a poor working environment, where well-being has fallen short of the needs of the individual.
- As the nature of work has evolved so too has the nature of the workplace to offer different ways of organizing work, each suited to a particular set of needs.
- Notions of the workplace as fixed locations for permanently employed personnel have, to a certain extent, given way to more flexible ways of working, including an increase in homeworking.
- When encouraging personnel to work from home, there are practical considerations for organizations as well as personnel who might suffer impaired work–life balance instead of an improvement in their well-being.
- There are essentially two ways in which the working environment can impact productivity – enabling it or hindering it; identifying factors and characteristics that are conducive or detrimental to productivity is essential if progress is to be made.
- Internal environmental factors affect productivity and include air quality, noise control, thermal comfort, privacy, lighting and spatial comfort – not all of them are negative in their impact.