Writing in Inc Magazine, Nick Hobson reports on research by Craig Knight and S. Alexander Haslam that examined the impact of several approaches to workplace design on employee productivity and well-being. The researchers considered four approaches: 1) a lean approach with minimalist design, 2) a green approach with plants and photos of nature, 3) a social identity approach which encouraged employees to decorate their space with personal items, and 4) the social identity approach changed afterwards by the experimenters. The results showed that productivity and well-being were greater when the social identity approach was used, followed by the green approach. Productivity and well-being were lower under the lean approach and the social identify approach when modified by the experimenters afterwards.
The finding that productivity and well-being are enhanced by extending control to those in the work space may carry implications for learning settings. Learners with more impact on their environment may benefit from enhanced well-being and productivity.
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