The influence of office type on satisfaction and perceived productivity support

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this research is to determine whether the type of office environment has an impact on satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support.

Design/methodology/approach

Three office types that are most common in The Netherlands were distinguished: individual and shared room offices, combi offices and flex offices. 11,799 respondents filled out a questionnaire measuring satisfaction with the work environment and its contribution to productivity.

Findings

Regression analysis was used to investigate whether these factors were influenced by office type. Results show that office type is a significant predictor. While in combi and flex offices people can choose to work at diverse workspaces, people evaluate productivity support, concentration and privacy less positive than people working in individual and shared room offices. In combi offices, but not in flex offices, people are more satisfied with communication than in individual and shared room offices.

Practical implications

Nevertheless, satisfaction with the organization explains the most variance with regard to satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support.

Originality/value

In The Netherlands, there are a lot of office buildings with a combi or flexible office concept. The large dataset on which the comparison is based, is a real plus for the research.

Citation

De Been, I. and Beijer, M. (2014), "The influence of office type on satisfaction and perceived productivity support", Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 142-157. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-02-2013-0011