Workplace Design

6 Key excerpts on "Workplace Design"

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  eBook - ePub

  e-Business and Workplace Redesign

  • Paul Jackson, Reima Suomi, Paul Jackson, Reima Suomi(Authors)
  • 2003(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Part 2: Workplace architecture and design

  In Part 2 we turn to the realm of architecture and facilities management and examine their importance to the physical aspects of work. Chapter 4 by Cristina Caramelo Gomes, Ghassan Aouad and Marcus Ormerod focuses on ‘sustainable workplace’ design in the context of eBusiness and new methods of work. They note that a workplace is a central concept for several entities: the worker and his/her family, the employing organisation, the customers of the organisation, and the society as a whole. All have different expectations towards working methods and places, with the task of optimising the whole a daunting one. The work design phase is made more complex by new information and communication technologies, given the way they increase available design possibilities. At the same time, the authors argue, expectations of work and workplace conditions have grown because of the increased awareness of better options for performing work. The authors note that as part of these developments, workers themselves also need to adapt and that the new workforce needs much more flexibility than workers previously.

  At the heart of the authors’ argument is the belief that changes in work organisation must be designed in ways that sustain both social and ecological resources. To do this we need to overcome established practices in the design and building of workplaces, and support the greater temporal and spatial flexibility demanded in new methods of work. Indeed, by providing for new forms of occupancy (such as non-territorial offices and teleworking), they argue that we can both achieve a higher quality of working life and improve our relationships with the wider community.

  The authors conclude by presenting a conceptual model to support the whole process of designing and managing a modern and flexible workplace. It therefore encapsulates their core argument that the new office should be a sustainable structure while also giving due consideration to environmental issues.

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  eBook - PDF

  Introduction to Human Factors and Ergonomics for Engineers

  • Mark R. Lehto, Steven J. Landry(Authors)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  85 chapter three Design of work areas, tools, and equipment About the chapter This chapter focuses on the space requirements of people performing jobs in factories, commercial facilities, and offices. Several space-related issues related to Workplace Design are addressed to varying degrees, for example, issues related to the design of work and traffic areas, workstations, work surfaces, work layout, seating, equipment used in workstations, and hand tools. Some of the topics addressed include clearance and reach requirements, accessibility, visibility, accommodation of disabled people, and the need for adjustability. The chapter begins with a brief discussion of the important role of anthro-pometric data in Workplace Design, before introducing methods of using anthropometric data, such as drafting templates and computer modeling techniques. The discussion then shifts to selected application areas. As emphasized in the chapter, the topics covered are traditional areas of industrial engineering and ergonomics, but significant changes in the regulatory environment and other factors have resulted in new needs and design constraints. Introduction A workplace is the place where one works, be it a workbench, an assembly-line station, or a desk. In all cases, tools, parts, equipment, and other devices must be located in eas-ily accessible locations, if people are to work productively in comfort and good health for protracted time periods. Tools and equipment must also be appropriately sized so that they fit the people using them. It does not take a lot of imagination to realize that seating, desks, hand tools, clothing, and personal protective equipment all pose potential problems if they do not fit the person using them. Workplace layout becomes especially important when workers are repetitively doing the same activity hour after hour. Part of the issue is that workers may need to maintain the same posture or a limited set of postures most of the time they spend working.

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  eBook - ePub

  Facilities Planning and Design

  An introduction for Facility Planners, Facility Project Managers and Facility Managers

  • Jonathan Lian(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • WSPC

    (Publisher)

  ART 3

  Workplace Planning and Design Passage contains an image

  CHAPTER 9

  Workplace Planning and Design

  In this chapter, you will learn about the following: 1.Key trends that are driving change in organisations and the workplace 2.Changes in workspaces, meeting spaces, support spaces and technology 3.Essential #9 – Considerations that must be taken in the planning and design of offices 4.Challenges in implementing a new office concept 5.Coworking spaces

  Essential #9

  Understand the considerations in the planning and design of workplaces.

  The previous chapters considered planning and design at large scales (e.g. building scale and campus scale). This chapter considers planning and design at a smaller scale, specifically office spaces. This chapter also seeks to help the reader consider planning and design in the context of a particular type of facility — offices.

  Many people spend at least forty hours a week at their workplace. This accounts for a substantial portion of their time. Hence, it is important that their workplaces are well-planned and well-designed. Another reason is that the layout and design of the workplace can affect a worker’s productivity and job satisfaction.

  This chapter will focus on workers in an office setting as this is the situation that is most typical. The layout and design of an office is determined by the organisation whose employees occupy the office. The organisation’s activities also drive the layout and design of the office.

  9.1Key trends driving change in organisations and the workplace

  According to the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) (2017) there are three key trends that are driving change in organisations and the nature of work:

  •Globalisation and increased competition. •The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) revolution. •The increasing pace of change resulting from increased competition and the technology revolution.

  Globalisation has brought out enhanced competition which has led to companies needing to become leaner. Organisations strive to be ‘lean’ in a drive to become more competitive, agile and focused on the customer.

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  Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management

  • Joseph J. Martocchio(Author)
  • 2008(Publication Date)
  • Emerald Group Publishing Limited

    (Publisher)

  Second, there are trends in the general business environment that have a considerable impact on the nature of work. Manufacturing industries were once predominant, where work was marked by the creation of products through routinized, simplified jobs. Although such work remains, the last 20 years has witnessed the growth of service-and knowledge-oriented industries, where the key to success is providing high quality service and creating innovative products, often by using self-managing teams of workers. In addition, the forces of globalization and technological advancement have affected all industries, leading some to suggest that the competitive environment has been ‘‘flattened’’ (Friedman, 2005). In such an environment, collaboration, adaptability, and problem-solving become particularly important. Partly in response to these changes, work structures have continued to evolve, with the widespread introduction of team-based and virtual forms of work. Work design research and practice is at the forefront of understanding how these changes affect work-related outcomes. Third, work design has considerable practical significance to managers, workers, and organizations. Unlike many other organizational aspects such as culture and structure, managers actually have considerable influence and control over work design choices. Managers are often charged with designing or redesigning the work of their subordinates, often needing to customize the work designs to the particular competencies of individual workers. For their part, workers are also proactive ‘‘crafters’’ of their work roles, often dynamically redesigning their own work to suit their particular capabilities, interests, or situation. Finally, organizations are concerned about achieving a potentially diverse set of outcomes, including productiv-ity, cost control, innovation, learning, and worker morale. Research on work design provides insight into how to design work to achieve these different outcomes.

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  Total Facility Management

  • Brian Atkin, Adrian Brooks(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  Design issues An investigation into the influence of the working environment on self-reported productivity found that most respondents considered that the design of the office had a direct influence on their well-being and productivity. They felt that pro- ductivity in particular would rise by 10% if conditions were improved. Gener- ally, an improved fit between the physical setting and the work process, both on the individual and organizational level, should improve performance directly; but can also indirectly contribute to future successful job performance by enhanc- ing the intrinsic rewards of the job – performance leads to satisfaction leads to performance. Aesthetic choices in office design affect behaviour and job performance, influencing users’ perceptions of the working environment, how quickly they tire and how tolerant they are of physical stressors. Considerations regarding interior design must therefore take into account the idiosyncrasies of the human visual system. Extremes of contrast are, in particular, visually fatiguing. However, people with certain kinds of visual impairment might benefit from contrasting colour schemes that pick out important objects. For example, white light switches on a white background might not be easily found even if they are located where they 98 Chapter 5 are expected to be. In another example, the poor contrast on lift/elevator control panels between numerals and their background means that users can struggle to find the appropriate floor. It is not much help to have the numerals illuminate only when pressed. The design of the workplace and workspaces within them must address not only an individual’s lower-order needs, such as safety, security and physical comfort, but also higher-order needs such as self-esteem. Once environmental needs are satisfied, the individual becomes dominated by the unsatisfied needs and envi- ronmental conditions cease to be important to the individual’s current concerns.

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  Managing and Using Information Systems

  A Strategic Approach

  • Keri E. Pearlson, Carol S. Saunders, Dennis F. Galletta(Authors)
  • 2016(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  75 4 chapter New approaches to work such as workplace flexibility and remote work combined with newer collaboration and social technologies, mobile technologies, and cloud computing have drastically changed the way we work. This chapter explores the impact technology has on the nature and design of work. A Work Design Framework is used to explore how digital technology can be used effectively to support these changes and help make employees more effective. In particular, this chapter discusses technologies to support communication and collaboration, new types of work, new ways of doing traditional work, new challenges in managing employees, and issues in working remotely and on virtual teams. It concludes with a section on change management. Digital Systems and the Design of Work Consumer financial services powerhouse American Express viewed workplace flexibility as a stra- tegic lever. Its award‐winning BlueWork program was a good example of turning strategic intent into action. In addition to receiving the Chairman’ s Award for Innovation—Top Innovators Prize, the BlueWork program enabled increased employee productivity and more than $10 million in annual savings from reduced cost of office space. 1 BlueWork was Amex’s term for arrangements for flexi- bility in workspace. Integrated into the company’s human resource policies, the flexibility included staggered working hours, off‐site work areas such as home/virtual office arrangements, shared office space, touch‐down (laptop‐focused, temporary) space, and telecommuting. The corporate focus is on results rather than on hours clocked in the office and face‐to‐face time. But BlueWork also supported the sustainability and corporate social responsibility objectives. According to the Amex Web site, Our sustainable facilities story is also woven into the fabric of our employees’ daily routine.

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