Evaluating Professional Environments: The Workspace In The Workplace

The purpose of this term paper is to evaluate the professional environments or what is commonly known as the workspace. An important part in motivating employees is to create a productive workspace. This includes creating a space where employees want to show up rather than needing to.The workplace that an employee surrounds him in is not limited to the physical aspect such as his desk space but rather widespread. From the seating plan of the office to the sounds the scents of the office, they all fall into the category of workspace.
Some workplaces promote creativity and some efficiency, this overall increases productivity. Physiological needs include having food available in offices. This may be present in the form of pantries stocked with

Other physic logical needs include working in an environment with appropriate temperature and humidity levels. This is to ensure that employees are able to perform at their best. It is said that warmer rooms encourage work productivity. Diffusers placed around the office contribute to the smelling sense of employees. Room scents effect mood and mindsets thus also productivity. Scents like coffee and pinewood help snap employees back into focus if they are drifting away from the actual task at hand. Some offices prefer to have something known as ‘background noise’; it can be ambient playback music or some occasional announcements relevant to work. Depending on the function of the employee, this play back music is altered to prevent monotony and fatigue in the workplace. Another important tool in the workplace that effects productivity is lighting. It can be used specific to the job requirements. Some offices opt for bright stark spotlights while some offices that promote creativity opt for softer strategically placed lighting fixtures that allow individual control. It is important to remember that too much of anything can be overwhelming, including the colour scheme of the workplace. The colour theme of the office is vital to inspire employees, help them keep

Some examples are height adjustable tables and community tables. The latter reflects the need for interaction between employees at the work place. These large shared tables allow more relaxed, more congenial and more collaborative working styles. The variety of environment offered to employees allows them to compartmentalize their working time and their breaks by spending them in different areas. This can be seen by the use of designated lounge areas which encourage employees to work when they work and play when they play. Google is a strong advocate of this notion who go as far as to have hammocks and gaming stations in their workplaces. An employee may use his personal space, the lobbies, break out rooms, conference room, eating areas and lounges to differentiate in his routine and get more tasks done. Continuing on with furniture, organizations bring in a naturalistic element to their offices by incorporating it into their furniture. Examples of this include exposed concrete flooring, use of reclaimed wood in furniture, floral patterns in fabric, naturistic artwork and large glass panels that often overlook greenery or stream in sunlight. Planters are also an often sight in offices. The reason for this is that having access to the natural world allows greater psychological and physiological functioning which directly