People who use posters and photos to mark out their space in an open-plan office are happier at work than those who try to place barriers between themselves and their colleagues, according to a pilot study by The University of Queensland Business School.
The study, funded by an Australian Research Council grant, aims to find out more about how the physical work environment and its configurations affect employee productivity.
Senior Lecturer in Management Dr Remi Ayoko is working on the project with Professor of Management Neal Ashkanasy.
A sample group study found that workers in open-plan offices tend to claim ownership of their work area through items such as novelty mugs, photos and posters.
“Employees who express themselves in this way also seem to experience positive emotions,” Dr Ayoko said.
In contrast, those who were more defensive about their space, “especially in anticipation and fear of intrusion”, were more likely to experience negative emotions.
The study found that 15 percent of open-plan office workers had had a disagreement with a colleague, 12 percent had felt frustrated, eight percent were not satisfied with their job and 11 percent said they were not performing their work effectively.
Dr Ayoko said the results were not conclusive and further research was needed, but it suggested open-plan offices made for easier communication and were cheaper to design, but could result in frustration and conflict due to noise, distractions and lack of privacy.
“Organisations spend millions of dollars renovating and building new workspaces every year,” Dr Ayoko said.
“Yet very little research has been carried out in the field of organisational behaviour into the way in which the physical work environment, such as office design, affects employees’ productivity and wellbeing.
“Our research aims to tease out these issues and especially to look at how territoriality, conflict and emotions influence productivity in different office settings,” she said.
Dr Ayoko and Professor Ashkanasy are looking for businesses to take part in the main study, which could help improve productivity and employee satisfaction.
Those interested in participating in the research can contact Remi Ayoko via email: r.ayoko@business.uq.edu.au.
Media: Tanya Hagedorn, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, 07 3346 3052 or t.hagedorn@business.uq.edu.au
About UQ Business School
The University of Queensland Business School is independently ranked as one of the top business schools in Australia and among the leading institutions worldwide. Based in Brisbane, it brings together more than 130 subject experts with more than 7500 students and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs and executive education across the range of business disciplines.
UQ Business School is renowned internationally for the quality of its research and also provides contract research and consultancy services to organisations throughout the world. The teaching- research-consultancy loop is central to its success, ensuring that the School maintains its position at the forefront of academic knowledge while staying closely attuned to modern business requirements. For further information see www.business.uq.edu.au.
Fast facts
• UQ Business School was the first in Australia to meet the standards of the world’s two most influential accrediting bodies – the US-based AACSB International and Europe’s EQUIS.
• It has been ranked in the world’s top 50 universities for executive education by the Financial Times.
• Its MBA program has been rated in the top 30 worldwide by The Economist and in the top two in Australia by the AFR’s BOSS Magazine.
• The MBA course has been awarded the highest possible rating of five stars for eight consecutive years by Australia’s most influential rating body, the GMAA.
• The School was classed as above world standard in its four major fields of business research in the Australian Government’s ERA assessment.
