A qualitative study of facilities and their environmental performance

Abstract

Improving indoor environmental conditions and, thus, health standards will have a direct impact on the performance of the employees and, thus, organisations and on the wealth of the community. The indoor air quality, lighting, ergonomics, acoustics and health complaints scales are widely used to determine building performance levels. The research model was tested using responses from 362 employees in 25 diverse hospitals. The results indicate that building comfort level assessments play a critical role in influencing the health complaints and building general sufficiency level judgements of the employees. These judgements differ from each other for the hospital groups classified according to the ownership criteria. This study will support a better evaluation of development policies of workplace environmental conditions by managers.

Ergonomics and Stress at Workplace: Engineering Contributions to Social Sciences

“…Based on the findings, components of thework environment (such ashumidity, lighting, acoustics, shiftwork and working hours) play a siginificant role in stress outcomes. This finding is similar to Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004) who suggest that ergonomic workstations that address all of these issues could curb workplace stress problems. Additionally, Leaman (1995) and Clark (2002) agree that excessive organizational temperature could trigger mental depression and negatively affect work performance.…”

“…When designing workstations, the main variables of ergonomic considerations involve the human, in regards to body posture and health; the machine, in terms of tools suitability and maintenance; the work area, which includes, but is not limited to, working chair and work area design; and the work environment, which includes factors such as humidity, acoustics, lighting, shiftwork and working hours. Tarcan et al (2004) suggest that body posture can lead to work stress. For example, prolonged static movement can reduce blood flow to tendons, which is likely to cause fatigue and strain (Wojcikiewicz 2003).…”

“…Section 1 includes items related to ergonomic workstation factors. These items were adapted from House and Rizzo (1972), Brief and Aldag (1976), Lemasters and Atterbury (1996), Hedge and Erickson (1997), Tate, Whatley and Clugston (1997), Miles (2000), Hilderbrant et al (2001), Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004). Section 2 includes physiological, psychological and behavioral items, which are modified from the works of Karasek (1979), Ekman and Ehrenberg (2002) and Mearns et al (2003).…”

Ergonomics and Stress at Workplace: Engineering Contributions to Social Sciences

“…Based on the findings, components of thework environment (such ashumidity, lighting, acoustics, shiftwork and working hours) play a siginificant role in stress outcomes. This finding is similar to Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004) who suggest that ergonomic workstations that address all of these issues could curb workplace stress problems. Additionally, Leaman (1995) and Clark (2002) agree that excessive organizational temperature could trigger mental depression and negatively affect work performance.…”

“…When designing workstations, the main variables of ergonomic considerations involve the human, in regards to body posture and health; the machine, in terms of tools suitability and maintenance; the work area, which includes, but is not limited to, working chair and work area design; and the work environment, which includes factors such as humidity, acoustics, lighting, shiftwork and working hours. Tarcan et al (2004) suggest that body posture can lead to work stress. For example, prolonged static movement can reduce blood flow to tendons, which is likely to cause fatigue and strain (Wojcikiewicz 2003).…”

“…Section 1 includes items related to ergonomic workstation factors. These items were adapted from House and Rizzo (1972), Brief and Aldag (1976), Lemasters and Atterbury (1996), Hedge and Erickson (1997), Tate, Whatley and Clugston (1997), Miles (2000), Hilderbrant et al (2001), Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004). Section 2 includes physiological, psychological and behavioral items, which are modified from the works of Karasek (1979), Ekman and Ehrenberg (2002) and Mearns et al (2003).…”

How Ergonomic Factors Contribute to Employees’ Performance

“…If the room becomes too cold or hot, it can decrease the performance of people who work there. These findings correlate with other past research by Vimalanathan and Babu (2013), Ali et al (2015), Tarcan et al (2004), Saleem et al (2012), and Dianat et al (2015), which stated that room temperature did affect performance although these findings contradict with results from Manggo (2014), which stated that temperature had no effect on performance.…”

“…Other past research by Tarcan et al (2004) also stated how lighting affects performance. In their study, they found that lighting can be used as a measurement of workplace's comfortability.…”

Ergonomics and Stress at Workplace: Engineering Contributions to Social Sciences

“…Based on the findings, components of thework environment (such ashumidity, lighting, acoustics, shiftwork and working hours) play a siginificant role in stress outcomes. This finding is similar to Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004) who suggest that ergonomic workstations that address all of these issues could curb workplace stress problems. Additionally, Leaman (1995) and Clark (2002) agree that excessive organizational temperature could trigger mental depression and negatively affect work performance.…”

“…When designing workstations, the main variables of ergonomic considerations involve the human, in regards to body posture and health; the machine, in terms of tools suitability and maintenance; the work area, which includes, but is not limited to, working chair and work area design; and the work environment, which includes factors such as humidity, acoustics, lighting, shiftwork and working hours. Tarcan et al (2004) suggest that body posture can lead to work stress. For example, prolonged static movement can reduce blood flow to tendons, which is likely to cause fatigue and strain (Wojcikiewicz 2003).…”

“…Section 1 includes items related to ergonomic workstation factors. These items were adapted from House and Rizzo (1972), Brief and Aldag (1976), Lemasters and Atterbury (1996), Hedge and Erickson (1997), Tate, Whatley and Clugston (1997), Miles (2000), Hilderbrant et al (2001), Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004). Section 2 includes physiological, psychological and behavioral items, which are modified from the works of Karasek (1979), Ekman and Ehrenberg (2002) and Mearns et al (2003).…”

How Ergonomic Factors Contribute to Employees’ Performance

“…If the room becomes too cold or hot, it can decrease the performance of people who work there. These findings correlate with other past research by Vimalanathan and Babu (2013), Ali et al (2015), Tarcan et al (2004), Saleem et al (2012), and Dianat et al (2015), which stated that room temperature did affect performance although these findings contradict with results from Manggo (2014), which stated that temperature had no effect on performance.…”

“…Other past research by Tarcan et al (2004) also stated how lighting affects performance. In their study, they found that lighting can be used as a measurement of workplace's comfortability.…”

Ergonomics and Stress at Workplace: Engineering Contributions to Social Sciences

“…Based on the findings, components of thework environment (such ashumidity, lighting, acoustics, shiftwork and working hours) play a siginificant role in stress outcomes. This finding is similar to Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004) who suggest that ergonomic workstations that address all of these issues could curb workplace stress problems. Additionally, Leaman (1995) and Clark (2002) agree that excessive organizational temperature could trigger mental depression and negatively affect work performance.…”

“…When designing workstations, the main variables of ergonomic considerations involve the human, in regards to body posture and health; the machine, in terms of tools suitability and maintenance; the work area, which includes, but is not limited to, working chair and work area design; and the work environment, which includes factors such as humidity, acoustics, lighting, shiftwork and working hours. Tarcan et al (2004) suggest that body posture can lead to work stress. For example, prolonged static movement can reduce blood flow to tendons, which is likely to cause fatigue and strain (Wojcikiewicz 2003).…”

“…Section 1 includes items related to ergonomic workstation factors. These items were adapted from House and Rizzo (1972), Brief and Aldag (1976), Lemasters and Atterbury (1996), Hedge and Erickson (1997), Tate, Whatley and Clugston (1997), Miles (2000), Hilderbrant et al (2001), Nag and Nag (2004) and Tarcan et al (2004). Section 2 includes physiological, psychological and behavioral items, which are modified from the works of Karasek (1979), Ekman and Ehrenberg (2002) and Mearns et al (2003).…”

How Ergonomic Factors Contribute to Employees’ Performance

“…If the room becomes too cold or hot, it can decrease the performance of people who work there. These findings correlate with other past research by Vimalanathan and Babu (2013), Ali et al (2015), Tarcan et al (2004), Saleem et al (2012), and Dianat et al (2015), which stated that room temperature did affect performance although these findings contradict with results from Manggo (2014), which stated that temperature had no effect on performance.…”

“…Other past research by Tarcan et al (2004) also stated how lighting affects performance. In their study, they found that lighting can be used as a measurement of workplace's comfortability.…”