Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Work environment perceptions following relocation to open-plan offices: A twelve-month longitudinal study

Bergstrom, Jessica ; Miller, Michael LU and Horneij, Eva LU (2015) In Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation 50(2). p.221-228
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A workplace's design can have various positive or negative effects on the employees and since the 1970s the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan offices have been discussed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate perceived health, work environment and self-estimated productivity one month before and at three, six and twelve months after relocation from individual offices to an open-plan office environment. METHODS: Employees from three departments within the same company group and who worked with relatively similar tasks and who were planned to be relocated from private offices to open-plan offices were invited to participate. Questionnaires comprising items from The Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale, The... (More)
BACKGROUND: A workplace's design can have various positive or negative effects on the employees and since the 1970s the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan offices have been discussed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate perceived health, work environment and self-estimated productivity one month before and at three, six and twelve months after relocation from individual offices to an open-plan office environment. METHODS: Employees from three departments within the same company group and who worked with relatively similar tasks and who were planned to be relocated from private offices to open-plan offices were invited to participate. Questionnaires comprising items from The Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale, The Work Experience Measurement Scale, the questionnaire by Brennan et al. about perceived performance and one question from the Work Ability Index were sent to participants one month before relocation (baseline) to open-plan offices and then at three, six and twelve months after relocation. At baseline, 82 questionnaires were sent out. The response rate was 85%. At the follow-ups 77-79 questionnaires were sent out and the response-rate was 70%-81%. RESULTS: At follow-ups, perceived health, job satisfaction and performance had generally deteriorated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate that employees' perception of health, work environment and performance decreased during a 12 month period following relocation from individual offices to open-plan offices. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Ergonomics, work organization, health promotion, work performance, perceived health
in
Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation
volume
50
issue
2
pages
221 - 228
publisher
IOS Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000350574900007
  • scopus:84924178000
  • pmid:24284691
ISSN
1875-9270
DOI
10.3233/WOR-131798
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4b4be317-4041-450f-99c3-0b3ea06ee607 (old id 5304051)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:39:31
date last changed
2022-02-27 03:50:40
@article{4b4be317-4041-450f-99c3-0b3ea06ee607,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: A workplace's design can have various positive or negative effects on the employees and since the 1970s the advantages and disadvantages of open-plan offices have been discussed. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate perceived health, work environment and self-estimated productivity one month before and at three, six and twelve months after relocation from individual offices to an open-plan office environment. METHODS: Employees from three departments within the same company group and who worked with relatively similar tasks and who were planned to be relocated from private offices to open-plan offices were invited to participate. Questionnaires comprising items from The Salutogenic Health Indicator Scale, The Work Experience Measurement Scale, the questionnaire by Brennan et al. about perceived performance and one question from the Work Ability Index were sent to participants one month before relocation (baseline) to open-plan offices and then at three, six and twelve months after relocation. At baseline, 82 questionnaires were sent out. The response rate was 85%. At the follow-ups 77-79 questionnaires were sent out and the response-rate was 70%-81%. RESULTS: At follow-ups, perceived health, job satisfaction and performance had generally deteriorated. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate that employees' perception of health, work environment and performance decreased during a 12 month period following relocation from individual offices to open-plan offices.}},
  author       = {{Bergstrom, Jessica and Miller, Michael and Horneij, Eva}},
  issn         = {{1875-9270}},
  keywords     = {{Ergonomics; work organization; health promotion; work performance; perceived health}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{221--228}},
  publisher    = {{IOS Press}},
  series       = {{Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation}},
  title        = {{Work environment perceptions following relocation to open-plan offices: A twelve-month longitudinal study}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4093239/8228418.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.3233/WOR-131798}},
  volume       = {{50}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}