Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2000, Vol 1
Proceedings of Healthy Buildings 2000, Vol 1
629
PRODUCTIVITY AND INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Derek Clements-Croome1 and Li Baizhan2
University of Reading, Department of Construction Management and Engineering, UK
Jukes Associates, UK
ABSTRACT
Surveys in several office buildings have shown that crowded work places, job dissatisfaction and physical environment are the main factors affecting productivity. the data was produced and analyzed using occupational stress indicator in conjunction with the analytical hierarchical process. thermal problems, stuffiness, sick building syndrome factors and crowded work places were most frequent complaints. the results suggest that the productivity could be improved by 4 to 10% by improving the office environmental conditions.
KEYWORDS: SBS, productivity, thermal comfort, perceived air quality, stress
INTRODUCTION
It is much higher cost to employ people then it is to maintain and operate a building, hence spending money on improving the work environment is the most cost effective way of improving productivity because of small percentage increase in productivity of 0.1% to 2% can have dramatic effects on the profitability of the company. The current state of knowledge on this subject is described by Clements-Croome [1]. Practical applications of some of this knowledge is described by Oseland and Barlett [2]
METHODS
This research focuses on the relationship between productivity and the indoor environment in the offices and takes into account the fact that productivity depends on other factors by using an Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) which has been developed to include an environmental dimension [3,4]. OSI is a job satisfaction scale involving question or statements, asking respondent to state what they think or feel about their job as whole or specific aspects of it.
Likeret scaling using five, seven or nine point scales is usually used. The OSI has been demonstrated by Arnold [5]. The occupational
629
PRODUCTIVITY AND INDOOR ENVIRONMENT
Derek Clements-Croome1 and Li Baizhan2
University of Reading, Department of Construction Management and Engineering, UK
Jukes Associates, UK
ABSTRACT
Surveys in several office buildings have shown that crowded work places, job dissatisfaction and physical environment are the main factors affecting productivity. the data was produced and analyzed using occupational stress indicator in conjunction with the analytical hierarchical process. thermal problems, stuffiness, sick building syndrome factors and crowded work places were most frequent complaints. the results suggest that the productivity could be improved by 4 to 10% by improving the office environmental conditions.
KEYWORDS: SBS, productivity, thermal comfort, perceived air quality, stress
INTRODUCTION
It is much higher cost to employ people then it is to maintain and operate a building, hence spending money on improving the work environment is the most cost effective way of improving productivity because of small percentage increase in productivity of 0.1% to 2% can have dramatic effects on the profitability of the company. The current state of knowledge on this subject is described by Clements-Croome [1]. Practical applications of some of this knowledge is described by Oseland and Barlett [2]
METHODS
This research focuses on the relationship between productivity and the indoor environment in the offices and takes into account the fact that productivity depends on other factors by using an Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI) which has been developed to include an environmental dimension [3,4]. OSI is a job satisfaction scale involving question or statements, asking respondent to state what they think or feel about their job as whole or specific aspects of it.
Likeret scaling using five, seven or nine point scales is usually used. The OSI has been demonstrated by Arnold [5]. The occupational
References: 1. Clements-Croome, D.J., 2000, Creating the Productive Workplace, Spon Routledge. 2. Oseland, N., Bartlett, P., 1999, Improving Office Productivity, Longman. 3. Cooper, C.L., 1998, Occupational Stress Indicator Management Guide, NFERNelson, Windsor. 4. Clements-Croome, D.J., Li B., 1995, Impact of Indoor Environment on Productivity, Workplace Comfort Forum, Royal Institute of British Architects, London. 5. Arnold, J., Cooper, C.L., Robertson, I., (1998), Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, 3ra Edition, Financial Times-Pitman Publishing. 6. Saaty, T.L., 1972, Analytic Hierarchy Process, McGraw-Hill, New York. 7. Li, B., 1998, Assessing the Influence of Indoor Environment on Self Reported Productivity in Offices, Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, Department of Construction 8. Raw, G.J., et al., 1989, Further Findings From the Office Environment Survey, Part I: Productivity, Building Research Establishment, Note No.N79/89. 9. Anderson, D., et al., 1990, Statistics for Business and Economics, 4th Edition, West Publishing Company, USA. 10. Cohen, J., Cohen, P., 1983, Applied Multiple Regression - Correlation Analysis for Behaviourial Sciences, 2"d Edition, Lawrence Earle Baum Associates, New