Individual differences in satisfaction with activity-based work environments

Abstract

Satisfaction with activity-based work environments (ABW environments) often falls short of expectations, with striking differences among individual workers. A better understanding of these differences may provide clues for optimising satisfaction with ABW environments and associated organisational outcomes. The current study was designed to examine how specific psychological needs, job characteristics, and demographic variables relate to satisfaction with ABW environments. Survey data collected at seven organizations in the Netherlands (N = 551) were examined using correlation and regression analyses. Significant correlates of satisfaction with ABW environments were found: need for relatedness (positive), need for privacy (negative), job autonomy (positive), social interaction (positive), internal mobility (positive), and age (negative). Need for privacy appeared to be a powerful predictor of individual differences in satisfaction with ABW environments. These findings underline the importance of providing work environments that allow for different work styles, in alignment with different psychological need strengths, job characteristics, and demographic variables. Improving privacy, especially for older workers and for workers high in need for privacy, seems key to optimizing satisfaction with ABW environments.

Perceived fit in activity-based work environments and its impact on satisfaction and performance

“…We believe that our findings regarding perceived fit and highcomplexity tasks provide an explanation for the mixed outcomes of ABW environments that were reported in previous research (Babapour, 2019;Bodin Danielsson & Bodin, 2009;Brunia et al, 2016;De Been & Beijer, 2014;Engelen et al, 2018;Göçer et al, 2018;Hoendervanger et al 2018;Leesman, 2017;Van der Voordt, 2004). The use of open office work settings for high-complexity tasks was reported frequently in our field study (52% of the measurements, see Study 1).…”

“…For example, Oldham (1988) found that people high in PNP preferred working in closed, preferably individual rooms rather than working in an open-plan office. In a more recent field study, it was found that workers high in PNP generally reported lower satisfaction with ABW environments Hoendervanger et al, 2018. Accordingly (see also Fig.…”

“…If sufficient work settings that offer privacy are provided, these may still not be used for performing high-complexity tasks, as workers typically do not frequently switch between different work settings (Appel-Meulenbroek, Groenen, & Janssen, 2011;Göçer et al, 2018;Hoendervanger et al, 2018), despite the variety of the tasks that they carry out (Rothe, 2015). Important reasons not to switch are related to social ties and norms (e.g., staying with colleagues in an open office work setting instead of moving to a work setting that offers more privacy), psychological factors (e.g., place attachment), and practical issues (e.g., necessity to move stuff) Hoendervanger et al, 2016.…”

“…However, an ABW environment seems to hamper workers' concentration and privacy (Engelen et al, 2018). Other studies have shown that satisfaction with ABW environments may differ strongly between and within organizations (Brunia, De Been, & Van der Voordt, 2016;Göçer, Göçer, Karahan, & Oygür, 2018;Hoendervanger, Ernst, Albers, Van Yperen, & Mobach, 2018;Leesman, 2017). In a number of field studies, satisfaction was below expectations, with concentration, privacy, and the loss of an assigned workstation listed as major self-reported issues (Babapour, 2019;Bodin Danielsson & Bodin, 2009;De Been & Beijer, 2014;Van der Voordt, 2004).…”

Comfort and health of patients and staff, related to the physical environment of different departments in hospitals: a literature review

“…Differences in privacy might be explained by the definition of Altman (1976), that control of privacy is 'an active and dynamic regulation process', dependent on changes in situation or motivation. Other aspects related to the spatial layout, such as different needs for communication and concentration in offices, due to the heterogeneity of performed activities (Hoendervanger et al 2018), might occur in hospitals as well. In line with differences in thermal comfort between hospital departments, comfort varied between different building types, such as homes, schools and offices (Frontczak and Wargocki 2011).…”