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This study aims to analyse the impact on employee productivity of adopting the activity-based working (ABW) a form of new work practices (NWPs). A study of this nature has never been made in Asia.

A mixed methods design was used, which combined a comprehensive literature review, three interviews with senior professionals and a questionnaire survey with 37 office occupiers all from one international real estate consultancy firm in Hong Kong, as a case study, to analyse the impact of ABW on employee productivity.

Findings suggest that ABW influences employee productivity to a certain degree. Though both physical and behavioural working environmental factors influence employee productivity in general, the latter factors were relatively more influential. Interestingly, though space-per-employee has been reduced under the ABW, this has not affected employee performance negatively. However, findings indicate that distraction elements (e.g. interruptions, overcrowding and noise) do have a negative influence on employee performance.

The scope of this exploratory study is limited to Hong Kong and to a small sample of respondents representing one international real estate firm. However, the results could be interpreted for critical learning in other similarly expensive real estate rental markets.

The study highlighted the impact of not only physical but also behavioural working environment factors on employee productivity. The maximum benefits of NWPs can only be accomplished by striking a balance between aspects of physical and behavioural working environments.

The aim of this paper is to provide a validated theoretical framework for the measurement of office productivity.

The study's strength is that it is based on two sizable data sets. The data collected consists of data about the physical characteristics of the office environment and data pertaining to the behavioural environment.

One of the key contributions of this study was the development of the components of office productivity, which were: comfort, office layout, informal interaction points, environmental services, designated areas, interaction and distraction. The components were reduced to four in preparation for subsequent analysis. The four distinct components were comfort, office layout, interaction and distraction.

This study establishes that it is the behavioural environment that has the greatest impact on office productivity. It demonstrates that it is the dynamic elements of the office environment, interaction and distraction that are perceived as having the greatest positive and negative influences on self assessed productivity.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of three selected physical components of the urban environment – physical design, space layout and functionality, and store external appearance – on consumers' perceptions of service quality and behavioural intentions (desire to stay and repatronage intentions).

The research framework is based on the atmospherics, servicescape and service quality literatures. The proposed model is tested with a survey conducted in an inner‐city shopping street in Benevento (Italy).

Results show that physical space functionality and store appearance provide cues upon which customers base their perception of service quality provided in the shopping street and that service quality inferences, in turn, are able to affect desire to stay and repatronage intentions.

Findings are able to provide policy makers and retailers with suggestions in developing appropriate strategies for managing the urban setting with particular reference to individual shopping streets with the objective of improving customers' perception of service quality and subsequent behavioural outcomes.

The paper contributes to both retail and place marketing literature in that it is one of the few empirical studies aiming to investigate the influence of atmospheric stimuli on consumers' perception in an urban setting.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate corporate real estate (CRE) performance measurement and how value can be added to the core business.

An analysis is made of the appropriate literature and primary research conducted via interviews with 11 senior professionals from three globally renowned companies, one global financial organisation and two corporate advisory firms.

The findings from this research provide evidence that CRE can be used to add value to the core business, both in the physical and behavioural environment. By aligning aims and objectives with the business, continually conducting portfolio analytics, encompassing size, cost, space, retention and productivity, value can be added, maximising shareholder worth.

The main conclusions drawn from this study are that CRE can add value to the business. The role of corporate real estate asset managers (CREAMs) needs to change from the physical environment to the behavioural environment, working to increase productivity, which can have greatest impact on shareholder value.

This paper provides evidence to suggest that CRE ’s role is not only to manage property but should be broadened to add value to the organisation by aligning CRE strategy with the corporate strategy. Closer interactions with human resource and information technology are required to enhance productivity, via relationship management, perhaps outsourcing to provide best in industry expertise. CREAMs can shape the future of office space, by demanding carbon neutral properties. This paper recommends that further research should be conducted on the measurement of intangibles, like productivity and corporate social responsibility, and how they can be used to add value and sustainable saves.

Workplace environments and user satisfaction assessment have been recognised as a key research area for improving knowledge‐intense organisation performance through satisfaction‐based productivity. Previous research which focused on satisfaction levels of office users sometimes neglected the fact that not all office users perceived the importance of workplace environment factors (facilities services, design and layout, work and social interactions and distraction control) in a similar way. This suggests a gap in the knowledge base. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a systematic assessment of workplace‐user satisfaction.

Criteria decision analysis tools were reviewed and the use of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was justified as an appropriate method. A survey undertaken in offices across the UK, focused on levels of satisfaction and perceived productivity, in order to construct an AHP Satisfaction Index for comparing with the average score approach.

At the individual level, the AHP Satisfaction Index weighting workplace environment criteria yield a better explanation of workplace‐user satisfaction compared with the average score approach. At the global level, the AHP Satisfaction Index does not impact on the overall statistical behaviour when compared with the original score.

The AHP Satisfaction Index can be used as an alternative way to measure workplace‐user satisfaction levels in the office. This approach provides more comprehensive information when researchers and practitioners are interested in the impacts of workplace environment criteria.

This paper sets out to understand the impact of the ambient environment on perceived comfort, health, wellbeing and by extension productivity in the workplace.

The research combined an occupant survey considering satisfaction with the ambient environment, health and wellbeing and workplace behaviour with the monitoring of ambient environmental conditions.

The paper demonstrates that the ambient environment can have a significant impact on occupant comfort, health and wellbeing, which in turn has implications for built asset performance. Within the ambient environmental factors considered, a hierarchy may exist with noise being of particular importance. Occupant behaviour within the workplace was also found to be influential.

The research was limited to a single commercial office building, and a wider range of case studies would therefore be of benefit. The research was also limited to the summer months.

The findings show that an active approach to asset management is required, by continuously monitoring internal environment and engaging with occupants. This must carefully consider how ambient environmental factors and workplace behaviour impact upon occupants’ comfort, health and wellbeing to ensure the performance of the built asset is maximised.

This paper demonstrates that both occupiers’ workplace behaviour and ambient environmental conditions can have an impact on occupant comfort, health, wellbeing and productivity. The paper strengthens the case for the active management of the workplace environment through environmental monitoring and behaviour change campaigns supported by corresponding changes to workplace culture.

The purpose of this study is to pilot test the effectiveness of the experience sampling approach for measuring employee satisfaction with the workplace environment. Additionally, the authors also aimed to explore, which aspects of environmental comfort have the strongest impact on momentary well-being and productivity.

In total, 15 knowledge workers in an open-plan office environment were sent a brief survey (measuring environmental comfort, momentary well-being and perceived productivity) each day over an 11-day study period and provided 78 individual survey responses in total.

All but one of the measures on the survey had low test-retest reliability, indicating that employees’ experiences of environmental comfort varied significantly each time they completed the survey. Additionally, higher environmental comfort was associated with improved well-being and productivity.

The results suggest that an experience sampling approach to the workplace occupant survey is justified to better capture the temporal variability in experiences of environmental comfort. The results also suggest that improving environmental comfort, particularly by reducing the level of distractions, will enable employees to work more productively.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first field study which has attempted to directly address limitations in traditional occupant surveys by using an experience sampling approach rather than a one-time-only questionnaire.

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of “environmental control”. Environmental control can be provided through: furnishings and work tools that can be modified or manipulated, choice of time and location of work, organizational policies for flexible work programs, training, and computing and communications technologies that extend control. This paper seeks to propose that enhanced environmental control is related to improved individual, group and organizational performance.

A conceptual model is presented of environmental control coupled with a review and analysis of relevant literature that support the model and identify areas that require further development and research.

The literature review and analysis show support for the model of environmental control. The research reviewed reveals a consistent relationship between workplace capabilities that provide control, and positive behavioral and business performance outcomes for individuals, teams and business units. The review identifies gaps in the empirical support for the model and provides directions for future research.

Ultimately, environmental control is proposed as a means for providing choice about where, when and how to work, which can be used to improve the performance of people and organizations. Thus, environmental control is a crucial capability in which organizations should invest, by optimizing choice through workspace, policies, and technology. By leveraging control as a central component of workplace strategy, organizations may enhance their competitive advantage.

Much of the research described in the paper, and methods employed, are appropriate for exploratory research and theory‐building.