Open-plan offices make you stressed and moody: We’ve got the data to prove it
New study shows just how distracting office noise is
How we simulated open-plan office noise
We used a simulated office setting with volunteers to compare the effects of typical open-plan office noise to a quieter private office on a range of objective and subjective measures of well-being and performance. Our carefully manipulated soundscapes included people speaking, walking, printing papers, ringing telephones, and keyboard typing noises.
Our study involved observing the same individuals “working” — participants were asked to complete a proof-reading task — under the two noise conditions. We varied the order of the sound tests to avoid bias due to fatigue and training effects.
This “repeated measures experimental design”allowedus to make causal conclusions about the effects of the noise on well-being indicators.
We used sensors to track changes in heart rate and sweat response — both reliableindicatorsof physiological stress. We usedfacial emotionrecognition software to assess emotional responses. We also had participants self-report their own feeling using amood scale.
Even after a short exposure, we found a causal relationship between open-plan office noise and both stress and negative mood. Negative mood increased by 25% and sweat response by 34%.
While there was no immediate effect on reduced work performance, it is reasonable to assume such hidden stress over the longer term is detrimental to well-being and productivity.
Precise causal relationships
Our study addresses a gap in the literature by using a simulated office environment with objectively manipulated noise levels and a wide range of objective and subjective dependent variables.
Reviewsin research in this field show past studies have tended to only use self-reported measures. They have not used controlled experimental conditions, nor tested sound parameters.
Comparing multiple output measures has allowed us to investigate cause-effect relationships. Much research on open-plan offices has not established direct causal connections, which is necessary to understand precise relationships, and thus the how to most effectively and efficiently reduce these stressors.
Although open-plan offices rarely present an immediate physical danger in terms of sound levels, unrelenting exposure all day intensifies their effects.
Chronically elevated levels of physiological stress areknownto be detrimental to mental and physical health.
Frequently being in a negative mood is also likely toharmjob satisfaction and commitment. It potentially increases the likelihood of employees leaving.
What to do about it
The pandemic has changed our tolerance for office work. Surveys show up to 70% of employees willseek new jobsif their employer does not offer flexibility to work from home some of the time. So creating a healthy work environment is more important than ever.
As organizations seek to adapt to COVID-19, many are reconsidering how they set up and use the office. Though open-plan offices are unlikely to go away any time soon, our study highlights the importance of understanding employee needs in designing work spaces.
One advantage of more employees working from home at least some of the time is a less crowded office, reducing both visual and auditory distractions.
But there are other things that can be done. Acoustic treatments and sound-masking technologies —ambient soundsdesigned to make other people talking less intrusive — can help. Good old-fashioned walls or partitions may alsoassist.
Such interventions can be costly, but so is the impact of poor office environmental qualityon productivity.
And we might all feel happier about going back to the office.
Article byLibby (Elizabeth) Sander, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Bond Business School,Bond University.
This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
Story byThe Conversation
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