Workplace Environment Disadvantages

Characteristics of the workplace environment such as noise, lighting conditions and the amount of space available to each employee, can significantly affect behaviour, perception and productivity. Another fundamental aspect of employee behaviour is the layout of an office space.

The general assumption exists that functions which have the most interaction with one another should be organized in closest proximity to each other. In his book, A Pattern Language, Alexander, et.al. (1977), states that this concept is incorrect and that it was created based on the conclusion that work productivity is increased if staff’s movement between functions is decreased. “The fact is that people work best only when they are healthy in mind and body,” (Alexander

Benefits include increased communication and social interaction between employees, resulting in improved employee satisfaction. It also saves a company set-up and renovation time and enables the accommodation of a greater number of employees. Therefore the amount of office space needed is reduced. Some of the disadvantages include increased workplace noise, increased disturbances and distractions, feelings of crowding, and loss of privacy. How then is balance achieved?

Research over the years have indicated that when given a choice, people choose small offices rather than large ones and that working groups in a small office are more cohesive compared to larger ones. (Pilkington Research Unit, Office Design: A Study of Environment, Department of Building Science, University of Liverpool, 1965).

Based on the pattern ‘Flexible Office Space’ in the A Pattern Language by Alexander et. al. (1977), a flexible office space should be based on a house with a variety of spaces in terms of size and function. It is important to provide workers with spaces for group activities as well as partially private spaces for individual work and communal spaces where social interaction between workers can take

“A remarkable factor in the experience of enveloping spatiality, interiority and hapacity is the deliberate suppression of sharp focused vision” (Pallasmaa, 2012:14).

“The quality of an architectural reality seems to depend fundamentally on peripheral vision, which enfolds the subject in the space” (Pallasmaa, 2012:14).

Alexander et. al. (1977) recommends arranging work groups in such a way that each person is in partial view of the other members of his group. This ensures that a person is not left in isolation and that he is given has some level of privacy.

Among the biggest changes in the workplace over the years has been the development of interactive and collaborative work spaces. Multidisciplinary and cross-functional collaboration is becoming a critical element in increasing efficiency, profitability and productivity (Ying, et al.,