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1 – 10 of over 23000This paper aims to provide a perspective on the office productivity debate, with a particular focus on providing a framework for examining those factors relating to the design and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a perspective on the office productivity debate, with a particular focus on providing a framework for examining those factors relating to the design and management of the office environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach taken has been to examine the plethora of factors that might be involved, principally through a literature review, and then to group these into four generic areas of enquiry. Within each of these, potential measures of productivity are described, and these are connected to building lifecycle decisions.
Findings
Combined, the findings produce a practical framework within which various actors in the design, delivery and management offices can understand and influence the productivity question. In this way, the findings have practical implications rather than simply describing the factors that influence productivity.
Originality/value
The paper develops a report produced in 2017 for the British Council for Offices. Building on the main findings of the original work, this paper expands the literature review, provides more context regarding the significance of office productivity and expands upon the conclusions. The author fully acknowledges the contributions of the whole research team behind the original paper. The originality of the work lies in its development of a framework that can be applied by practitioners in the built environment.
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Ingrid Nappi and Gisele de Campos Ribeiro
The purpose of this study is to examine the use of IoT technology (RFID technology, sensor networks, wearable devices and other smart items) in office settings and its respective…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the use of IoT technology (RFID technology, sensor networks, wearable devices and other smart items) in office settings and its respective impact on the optimization of employees’ productivity and workspace effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews 41 relevant publications reporting IoT use in office settings to identify how this technology has been applied in office settings and what topics are mostly addressed in the literature; how IoT technology improves employees’ productivity; and what the benefits and risks associated with IoT use in the workplace environment are.
Findings
Two main areas of application of IoT technology in the workplace environment were identified. The first one concerns the influence of the physical characteristics of workplaces on aspects related to workspace effectiveness. The second one is employee-centered and concerns the use of IoT data to identify employees’ social behavior, physiological data and emotional estates associated with productivity. IoT technology provides real-time data with speedy information retrieval. However, its deployment in office settings is not exempt from risks. Employee workplace surveillance, re-individualization of the IoT data and employee refusal of IoT technology in office settings are the main risks associated with this technology.
Originality/value
This literature review categorizes IoT application in office settings according to two perspectives and highlights employees' attitudes, user-experience of IoT technology and the risks associated with this technology. These results will help researchers and workplace managers interested in the deployment of this technology in the workplace environment.
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Amna Anjum and Xu Ming
Across the globe, every organization is striving to enhance the productivity and growth rate, but the prosperity and success of an organization is determined by the type of work…
Abstract
Purpose
Across the globe, every organization is striving to enhance the productivity and growth rate, but the prosperity and success of an organization is determined by the type of work environment in which it operates. To address this apprehension, this paper aims to determine the effect of toxic workplace environment on job stress that can badly affect the job productivity of an employee.
Design/methodology/approach
As an independent variable, toxic workplace environment was used as a complete spectrum consisting multiple dimensions named as workplace ostracism, workplace incivility, workplace harassment and workplace bullying. Job stress was used as a mediating variable between the spectrum of toxic workplace environment and job productivity. In this regard, self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used to collect the data from 267 employees of the health sector (HS) of Lahore region in Pakistan. For analysis purpose, we used confirmatory factor analysis to ensure the convergent and discriminant validity of the factors. AMOS 22 was used to check the direct and indirect effect of selected variables. Hayes mediation approach was used to check the mediating role of job stress between four dimensions of toxic workplace environment and job productivity.
Findings
The output demonstrated that the dimensions of toxic workplace environment have a negative significant relationship with job productivity, while job stress was proved as a statistical significant mediator between dimensions of toxic workplace environment and job productivity. Finally, we conclude that organizations need to combat/cleanse the roots of toxic workplace environment to ensure their prosperity and success.
Originality/value
This study aims to determine the effect of toxic workplace environment on job stress that can badly affect the job productivity of an employee. An empirical study in the context of the HS of Pakistan. This study, which is based on HS, has never been reported before in literature.
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Konstantinos Fassoulis and Nikolaos Alexopoulos
The purpose of this study is to examine degree of job satisfaction of the University of Athen’s (UOA) administrative staff, specifically regarding the workplace and its impact on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine degree of job satisfaction of the University of Athen’s (UOA) administrative staff, specifically regarding the workplace and its impact on their productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires were distributed to 160 administrative personnel of the UOA. The study entails descriptive analysis, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlations (two-tailed) and regression analysis of the data collected.
Findings
The results indicate that the UOA’s administrative staff is dissatisfied with most aspects of their workplace, which is characterized by an inability to encourage and support new forms of office work. This scenario was also found to have a negative effect on productivity. In addition, regression analysis showed that satisfaction with the workplace is a significant predictor of employee productivity.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study is that the sample was not from the UOA administrative staff that works in more recently constructed office buildings away from the Athens city center. Further investigation would also be needed to identify possible differences in satisfaction with the workspace and its impact on productivity, based on demographic characteristics, such as the level of education and years of employment.
Practical implications
The research results may be useful to public institution administrations like that of the UOA, as it highlights changes in the workplace which can have significant impact on employee job satisfaction and productivity, and consequently, the efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided.
Originality/value
This study examines aspects of the workspace of a public organization regarding their individual attributes. Given that the existing Greek literature in this field does not contain a discussion on the impact of the workplace on job satisfaction and productivity as far as the public sector is concerned, this paper may contribute to a smoother and more efficient provision of services from its organizations/institutions.
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The purpose of this paper to develop a better understanding of the behavioural challenges in workplace performance evaluation and how the issues raised regarding validity and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper to develop a better understanding of the behavioural challenges in workplace performance evaluation and how the issues raised regarding validity and reliability of Likert scales could be addressed in future occupant surveys.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the literature was conducted to identify some of the more important issues in occupant evaluations of built environment performance. Disparate fields of research were particularly given the changing nature of the workplace and work itself. The appropriateness of the Likert scale was then examined in some depth, with evaluation data presented by this method analysed to gauge the extent of error in reporting self‐assessed or perceived workplace productivity.
Findings
The review points to significant challenges in obtaining valid and reliable information in occupant self‐evaluations of workplace performance using linear Likert scales. When the occupant rating is negative, arithmetic means were found to be significantly lower than geometric means. The converse was found to be true for positive ratings. Magnitude estimation using a free modulus approach has been shown to be potentially free of bias and scale limitations
Research limitations/implications
The survey data available for analysis were limited, but the implications of the findings for the credibility of workplace performance evaluation are significant given the widespread use of linear Likert scales. Researchers are encouraged to pursue the questions raised and test the propositions further.
Practical implications
With modern work becoming more complex, information rich, mobile and team oriented, more sophisticated occupant performance evaluation tools and methods are needed to replace simplistic self‐assessment questionnaires.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the paucity of research into the validity and reliability of self‐assessed measures for workplace productivity. It integrates findings from disparate fields including aviation and cognitive functioning. It presents a stronger behavioural emphasis in evaluation, while encouraging the development of more effective measurement methods.
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Jihad Mohammad, Farzana Quoquab, Siti Halimah and Ramayah Thurasamy
There is an on-going debate about the role of workplace internet leisure (WIL) and whether it is a vice or virtue. Considering this, the purpose of this paper is to examine the…
Abstract
Purpose
There is an on-going debate about the role of workplace internet leisure (WIL) and whether it is a vice or virtue. Considering this, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of WIL on workplace outcome variables such as employee satisfaction (ES) and employee productivity in the Malaysian context.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that yielded 282 responses. Partial least square technique using SmartPLS-3 was used to test the study hypotheses.
Findings
Findings reveal that workplace WIL, workplace WIL policy and workplace autonomy orientation (WAO) affect employees’ satisfaction. Additionally, the mediating role of ES was found to be significant.
Practical implications
The findings of this study are valuable for both managers and policy makers. These results can benefit the managers of conventional banks in Malaysia to decide how to enhance employees’ satisfaction and productivity by focusing on the key drivers such as WIL, workplace internet leisure policy (WILP) and WAO.
Originality/value
This is a pioneering study which suggests that moderate use of WIL can have a positive and significant effect on workplace outcome variables. Moreover, this study theorised ES as a mediating variable; this helps to explain how organisations can transform workplace resources in term of internet leisure, WILP and WAO into high productivity by elevating employees’ satisfaction.
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Stan Kaczmarczyk and Judi Murtough
The workplace concept represents the convergence of three disciplines: Facilities management, information technology and human resources. Concepts such as knowledge work and human…
Abstract
The workplace concept represents the convergence of three disciplines: Facilities management, information technology and human resources. Concepts such as knowledge work and human capital drive the shift in professional focus from ‘place’ to ‘workplace’. The responsibilities of facility managers extend beyond operating issues to the more fundamental goals of providing highperforming and sustainable workplaces. Accordingly, the performance measurement paradigm must also be shifted from measuring facilities to measuring workplaces, using models and measures that recognise the importance and interdependence of facilities, information technology and human resources. This paper discusses initial efforts to measure innovative workplaces, provides an example of an organisation committed to providing its customers with innovative workplaces, and concludes that the measurement of innovative workplaces itself requires innovative and ‘out of the box’ techniques. New measurement paradigms are critical, however, not for ‘proving’ the case for the implementation of these innovative workspace solutions, but for evaluating and comparing evolving workplace approaches already under way.
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Lilian M. de Menezes and Ana B. Escrig
The purpose of this paper is to address potential effects of the control element in quality management. First, behavioural theories on how elements of performance management can…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address potential effects of the control element in quality management. First, behavioural theories on how elements of performance management can affect organisational performance are examined. Second, theoretical models on how perceptions of work conditions may impact well-being and performance are considered. Direct and indirect pathways from performance management to productivity/quality are inferred.
Design/methodology/approach
Matched employee-workplace data from an economy-wide survey in Britain and two-level structural equation models are used to test the hypothesised associations.
Findings
The use of practices in workplaces is inconsistent with a unified performance management approach. Distinct outcomes are expected from separate components in performance management and some may be contingent on workplace size. For example, within quality planning, strategy dissemination is positively associated with workplace productivity; targets are negatively associated with perceptions of job demands and positively correlated with job satisfaction, which in turn can increase workplace productivity. With respect to information and analysis: keeping and analysing records, or monitoring employee performance via appraisals that assess training needs, are positively associated with workplace productivity and quality.
Originality/value
This paper illustrates how control in quality management can be effective. Although the merits of performance management are subject to ongoing debate, arguments in the literature have tended to focus on performance appraisal. Analyses of economy-wide data linking performance management practices, within quality management, to employee perceptions of work conditions, well-being and aggregate performance are rare.
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Brandon Bortoluzzi, Daniel Carey, J.J. McArthur and Carol Menassa
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive survey of workplace productivity key performance indicators (KPIs) used in the office context. Academic literature from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive survey of workplace productivity key performance indicators (KPIs) used in the office context. Academic literature from the past 10 years has been systematically reviewed and contextualized through a series of expert interviews.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present a systematic review of the literature to identify KPIs and methods of workplace productivity measurement, complemented by insights semi-structured interviews to inform a framework for a benchmarking tool. In total, 513 papers published since 2007 were considered, of which 98 full-length papers were reviewed, and 20 were found to provide significant insight and are summarized herein.
Findings
Currently, no consensus exists on a single KPI suitable for measuring workplace productivity in an office environment, although qualitative questionnaires are more widely adopted than quantitative tools. The diversity of KPIs used in published studies indicates that a multidimensional approach would be the most appropriate for knowledge-worker productivity measurement. Expert interviews further highlighted a shift from infrequent, detailed evaluation to frequent, simplified reporting across human resource functions and this context is important for future tool development.
Originality/value
This paper provides a summary of significant work on workplace productivity measurement and KPI development over the past 10 years. This follows up on the comprehensive review by B. Haynes (2007a), providing an updated perspective on research in this field with additional insights from expert interviews.
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Thadsin Khamkanya, George Heaney and Stanley McGreal
Workplace environments and user satisfaction assessment have been recognised as a key research area for improving knowledge‐intense organisation performance through…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Originality/value
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.
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