The influence of office type on satisfaction and perceived productivity support
March 2014 | Iris de Been, Marion Beijer
The research paper was published in The Journal of Facility Management. The aim of this research is to determine whether the type of office environment has an impact on satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support.
Three office types that are most common in The Netherlands were distinguished: individual and shared room offices, combi offices and flex offices. 11,799 respondents filled out a questionnaire measuring satisfaction with the work environment and its contribution to productivity.
Findings
Regression analysis was used to investigate whether these factors were influenced by office type. Results show that office type is a significant predictor. While in combi and flex offices people can choose to work at diverse workspaces, people evaluate productivity support, concentration and privacy less positive than people working in individual and shared room offices. In combi offices, but not in flex offices, people are more satisfied with communication than in individual and shared room offices.
Practical implications
Nevertheless, satisfaction with the organization explains the most variance with regard to satisfaction with the office environment and productivity support.