(September 1, 2014)
'Green' offices with plants make staff happier and more productive than
'lean' designs stripped of greenery, new research shows.
In the first field study of its kind, published today,
researchers found enriching a 'lean' office with plants could increase
productivity by 15%.
The team examined the impact of 'lean' and 'green' offices
on staff's perceptions of air quality, concentration, and workplace
satisfaction, and monitored productivity levels over subsequent months in two
large commercial offices in the UK and The Netherlands.
Lead researcher Marlon Nieuwenhuis, from the School of
Psychology, said: "Our research suggests that investing in landscaping the
office with plants will pay off through an increase in office workers' quality
of life and productivity.
"Although previous laboratory research pointed in this
direction, our research is, to our knowledge, the first to examine this in real
offices, showing benefits over the long term. It directly challenges the widely
accepted business philosophy that a lean office with clean desks is more
productive."
The research showed plants in the office significantly
increased workplace satisfaction, self-reported levels of concentration, and
perceived air quality.
Analyses into the reasons why plants are beneficial suggests
that a green office increases employees' work engagement by making them more
physically, cognitively, and emotionally involved in their work.