Exploring the impact of the physical work environment on service employees: an analysis of literature
Journal of Facilities Management
ISSN: 1472-5967
Article publication date: 7 April 2022
Issue publication date: 22 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The recent COVID-19 emergency has brought to light issues connected to physical work environment, particularly to offices and to its impact on service employees’ internal responses, behaviors and outcomes. As the topic is characterized by fragmented theoretical approaches as well as a lack in consolidated empirical research, this study aims at providing a clear understanding of the main – as well as the most recent – issues debated in academic literature today.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is a systematic literature review. Specifically, 124 papers, retrieved by Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCOhost research databases, are here systematically analyzed.
Findings
The main findings are connected to the prevalence of studies investigating employees’ satisfaction and productivity as main outcomes, the increasing attention by academics to new workplace designs, characterized by peculiar attributes such as flexibility and nonterritoriality, and finally, the lower interest in nonoffice working environments.
Originality/value
The review sheds light on the current knowledge of the relation between physical work environment and service employees to identify the main issues debated in academic literature and make suggestions for further research. First, the need to explore aspects of the physical work environment and employees’ outcomes that have not been adequately studied. Second, the relevance to investigate the above relation in public sector. Moreover, the importance of careful planning of the physical and virtual work environment in the context of the COVID-19 emergency.
Keywords
Citation
Schilleci, P. (2023), "Exploring the impact of the physical work environment on service employees: an analysis of literature", Journal of Facilities Management, Vol. 21 No. 5, pp. 717-732. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFM-09-2021-0099
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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