Workstation design for organizational productivity - National ...

Organizational Productivitythrough Workstation Designand Layout56Privacy and Social InteractionPrivacy is one of the most important functional requirements of an office.Having privacy means both freedom from distractions and the ability toprevent others from obtaining knowledge about oneself and one’s work.Distractions from others principally Research:involve sounds, especiallyDistractionoverheard conversation. Freedom from distraction isHowever, visualessential since more than 80% ofdistractions may also most office workers’ time is spent onpresent problems ifquiet work or computer work. Thisthere is a lot ofexplains why freedom from distractionpedestrian traffic past is among the most desired open-planthe workstation.office conditions. Even team work requiresdistraction-free spaces; most team members’time is spent on a mixture of group meetingsto decide on courses of action, and individualquiet work on the resulting tasks.Impromptu meetings and telephoneconversations also benefit frombeing in quiet conditions withoutoutside interference.Nevertheless, contact between workers cannot and should not be eliminatedin an open-plan office. The workplace must strike a balance between the needfor solitude for concentration and the need for contact with co-workers.Consulting and meeting with colleagues is necessary to most job functions,and social interaction builds social support. Communication and socialsupport are strong contributors to healthy workplaces and loweredabsenteeism. People who have supportive relationships with co-workers arebetter able to cope with stressful conditions.W.3W.4