Hmm...Opened or

Closed...?

OPENED ?

OR CLOSED?

How does the physical setup of an workplace affect the productivity

of workers?

Cindy Choi & Grace ChungSoc D

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Hypothesis

• Influential Factors

• Furniture

• Colors

• Sound Distraction

• Temperature

• Spatial Arrangement & Layout

• Conclusion

• Possible Flaws

• Bibliography

Hypothesis

Workers will be more productive when they are working in an opened

workspace since people are able to interact with each other.

•Furniture•Colors•Sound

Distractions•Temperature

•Spatial Arrangements

and Layout

Influential factors of

Productivity

Influential factors of

Productivity

Furniture

•Provide coziness to the workplaces

•Chairs affect the health of workers

•Schedulers or pin boards with post-its increase the productivity of workers

Color

•Colors create the mood of the workplace

•Most offices are in neutral colors:

•white

•beige

•grey

•Will improve productivity if sound distractions are kept low

• Studies conducted by ASID (American Society of Interior Designs) showed that noise reduction is the

major concern of office workers and 70% of them prefer more quiet workplace.

• Open work spaces are uncontrollable with sound distractions

Sound Distractions

Temperature

Performance decreased 5-7%: above 25oC

Acceptable performance : 26oC ~27.5oC

Highest Performance: 22oC ~24oC

Layout & Spatial Arrangement

Organized so that manager and employees can have face to face

interactions!

FactorsFactors OpenedOpened ClosedClosed

FurnitureColorsSound

Distractions

Temperature

Spatial Arrangem

entsand

Layout

To sum up...

x xx

x

x

x

x= controllable

HYPOTHESIS?X

WRONG!

Workers will be more productive when they are

working in an opened workspace since people are

able to interact with each other.

XWorkers are more

productive when they are working in a closed

workspace

•Controllable spaces are more preferable

•Can concentrate and focus better without getting distracted by environment

•Closed working spaces will increase the productivity of the workers

Which means...

Unique Audience

TED Conversation

Possible Flaws•Biased

•Different personal tastes

•More influential factors

•Different standards of closed and opened offices

•Opened offices can also be productive

•Generalized results

BibliographyClements-Croome, Derek. Creating the productive workplace. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

Edberg, Henrik. The Positivity Blog, "5 Great Ways to Create a More Productive Workspace." Last modified September 19, 2008. Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.positivityblog.com/index.php/2008/09/19/5-great-ways-to-create-a-more-productive-workspace/.

Google, "Management team." Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.google.com/about/corporate/company/execs.html.

Laing, Andrew, David Craig, and Alex White. "Vision Statement: High-Performance Office Space." Harvard Business Review. (2011). http://hbr.org/2011/09/high-performance-office-space (accessed November 30, 2011).

Lifehack, "Design Tips for a Productive Home Office." Last modified May 1. Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/design-tips-for-a-productive-home-office.html.Human Resources Management, "Employee Productivity and the Workplace." Last modified 2008. Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.hrvillage.com/human-resources/employee-productivity.htm."Impact of Office Design on Employees’ Productivity: A Case study of Banking." Journal of Public Affairs, Administration and Management. 3. no. 1 (2009). http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2009/articles/1460.pdf (accessed November 30, 2011).Lomonaco, Carol, and Dennis Miller. Environmental Satisfaction, Personal Control and the Positive Correlation to Increased Productivity, "Johnson Controls, Inc.." Accessed November 30, 2011. http://www.parans.com/eng/lightacademy/pdf/Environmental Satisfaction.pdf.Wolfeld, Leah. "Effects of Office Layout on Job Satisfaction, Productivity and Organizational Commitment as Transmitted through Face-to-Face Interactions." Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Journal. 1. no. 1 (2010). http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=caaurj&sei-redir=1&referer=http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=how%20does%20physical%20setup%20of%20a%20workplace%20affect%20the%20productivity%20of%20workers&source=web&cd =5&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalarchive.gsu.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1023%26context%3Dcaaurj&ei=V87FTsSgA6GdmQWAmc2jCQ&usg=AFQjCNE7bg389MZKiSoo9kUFFWvxS9grcw&cad=rja.