Flexible office environment

This paper reports on a longitudinal research carried out in landscape office environment. The basic
goal of the survey was to support the work of internal designers and architects responsible for the new
central office of MATÁV Rt. Hungarian Telecommunication Company at 55 Krisztina, Budapest.
The paradigm of interaction between humans and their environment is the core of research
both in ergonomics and environmental psychology, recently. These overlapping disciplines provided
theoretical and methodological basis for the 3 years overarching research.
Work efficiency and well being or satisfaction of employees are the most important outcomes
of the working activities in offices. Effects moderating them are of two types. Motives such as Performance,
Appreciation of individual performance, the Work itself, Responsibility and Development
have direct influence on efficiency and satisfaction. Hygiene factors as Leadership style, Status,Work
safety and Work environment have negative effect in case of dissatisfaction, however, do not result
higher level of performance and enhanced well being otherwise [1]. Taking into consideration the
role of hygiene factors in the motivation system at workplaces environment is often a neglected area
of investors’ field of interest.
The key of the counter-relation between performance, well being and hygiene factors is attention.
Given the limited capacities of information processing of humans, environmental stimuli
stemming from inadequate Lighting, Temperature and Climate, Noise, Furniture and Working Chair
reduce mental resources to be devoted to the working task itself.
Other aspect of the stimuli control is the basic need of being alone, that is privacy. In open
office environments this aspect often leads to dissatisfaction because of the nature of these settings.
The longitudinal research covered all the above mentioned variables of the system of working
environments by use of individual and group interview and questionnaire techniques and served as
design guide in the subsequent steps.
To sum up the experiences of the three-year work it is also necessary to mention that cooperation
between representatives of disciplines like architecture, ergonomics and psychology the
approach and general aim of building design has gained a more versatile and colourful feature that as
contributors hope leads to good working performance and satisfaction amongst all employees working
in the new offices.