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The impact of the physical workplace on behaviors and attitudes at work is
a much-studied topic. Major research streams over the last decades
investigated either satisfaction with offices in relation to physical
comfort, or how layout decisions influenced interaction and collaboration
in the workplace with a focus on open-plan offices. Rather little is known
on the effect a workplace layout (such as its openness) has on perceptions
of staff regarding teamwork, focused work and perceived productivity. We
aim to close this gap by taking a differential approach which appreciates
detailed variations within open-plan offices. Not every corner of an
office is the same, so the question arises whether satisfaction with
workspace differs depending on where someone is sitting. Bringing results
of a staff survey in the UK headquarters of a global technology company
together with a detailed analysis of spatial qualities at desks based on
isovist and visual field analysis, we find that staff are less likely to
rate their workplace environment favorably when they have higher numbers
of desks within their own field of vision; and when they are facing away
from the room with a relatively larger area behind their back compared to
the area surrounding them. Aspects of teamwork that are negatively
affected include sharing information with others, as well as team identity
and cohesion. Focused work (concentration) and working productively are
impacted even more so with the largest effect sizes throughout. These
findings highlight the relevance of investigating detailed spatial
qualities of micro-locations in workplace layouts. Our results also raise
important questions regarding the current popular practice in workplace
design of providing large open-plan offices for technology companies.
212 views reported since publication in 2021.