Office environments and clerical behaviour

The effects of workstation partition heights on employees’ perceptions in open-plan offices

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effects of environmental factors in open-plan offices with the same characteristics but with different workstation partition heights (1.10, 1.40 and 1.65 m) on perceptual evaluations of office employees.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the effects of environmental factors on employees’ perceptual evaluations in open-plan offices at the Gölbaşı Region of Ankara were measured with a detailed questionnaire. The research data were obtained from 81 employees who agreed to fill out the questionnaire and who use open-plan offices.

Findings

It was found that the office environments with 1.65 m workstation partition heights were more favorably assessed for each of the items of planning and of privacy that form the dependent variables compared to the office environments with 1.10  and 1.40 m partition heights. On the other hand, the office environments with the 1.10 and 1.40 m partition heights were more favorable for lighting items than the 1.65 m partition height office environments. In addition, young employees had a more positive tendency toward the perceptions of environmental factors, including different workstation partition heights in open-plan offices, compared to older employees.

Research limitations/implications

Results of this research provide a fundamental contribution for the impact of various partition heights that have substantial implications on the perceptions of open-plan office environments. At this point, as open-plan offices have important effects on the quality of employees’ work experiences, the influence of various partition heights on the performance of employees should be emphasized in future studies. The diversity of performance (reading comprehension, calculation, design, drawing, etc.) will be an important decision.

Originality/value

The significant contribution of this research is that it provides valid data and makes a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge in open-plan office design.

Effects of Office Layout and Sit-Stand Adjustable Furniture: A Field Study

In a controlled field study, twelve office employees with computer-intensive jobs were monitored during the redesign of their work environment. Before office redesign, they worked in closed offices with four walls and sitting height, non-adjustable workstations. Then they worked in more open offices with three walls and sit-stand adjustable VDT workstations. The effects of this office redesign were evaluated three months post-occupancy. During the three months, employees worked standing for two hours every day. The results suggest that change in the office layout, i.e. open versus closed, increased the interaction and communication between employees. However, it significantly decreased employees' perceived privacy, and increased the amount of visual and noise distractions. In the offices with sit-stand adjustable furniture, subjects felt more energetic and less tired by the end of the workday.