ROSKAMS, Michael J. (2021). Exploring the relationship between the workplace environment, employee wellbeing, and productivity. Doctoral, Sheffield Hallam University. [Thesis]
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Roskams_2021_PhD_ExploringRelationshipBetween.pdf - Accepted Version
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Roskams_2021_PhD_ExploringRelationshipBetween.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
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Abstract
The ‘healthy buildings’ movement has emerged in response to increasing recognition
that many indoor environments, particularly office spaces, have a negative impact upon the
wellbeing and productivity of the building users. However, the move towards healthier
working environments is hampered by the fact that the academic workplace literature lacks a
suitable theoretical framework for representing the complex and dynamic nature of the
relationship between the employee and the workplace environment. Therefore, the major
objective of this research project was to develop and validate a theoretical framework to
represent the employee-workplace relationship. A programme of primary research conducted
within industry followed the initial development of framework, further confirming its utility
for both research and practice.
First, a comprehensive multidisciplinary literature review was conducted, leading to
the initial development of the novel conceptual framework to represent the ways in which
employees are affected by, and act upon, their workplace environment. The Environmental
Demands-Resources (ED-R) framework conceptualises the workplace environment as a
composite of pathogenic demands (i.e., aspects of the workplace which cause strain and
negatively affect employees) and salutogenic resources (i.e., aspects of the workplace which
support employee motivation and engagement). A conceptual analysis of the
multidisciplinary workplace literature confirms that these concepts are common across
seemingly disparate strands of workplace research.
Subsequently, a series of five primary research studies (culminating in six published
outputs) was conducted. Two studies explored how requirements for the workplace are
moderated by individual differences, finding that what constitutes an environmental demand
or resource differs from employee to employee (e.g., noise-sensitive employees are less
suited to open-plan offices). Two studies explored the use of environmental sensor data to
identify environmental demands and predict employee discomfort, leading to the
development of a methodology to combine objective building data with subjective human
responses. Finally, one study explored the use of innovative biophilic design as a novel
environmental resource, finding that a ‘regeneration pod’ more effectively facilitated
recovery from work stress than an ordinary meeting room.
This thesis presents the results of those studies in full. First, an introduction to the
research topics is presented, followed by a description of the key theoretical constructs and a
narrative review and conceptual analysis of the multidisciplinary workplace literature. Then,
the six research articles comprising the main programme of primary research are summarised
and discussed. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of the research are
considered, with a particular focus on the ways in which the research contributes to effective
strategies for the creation and maintenance of workplace environments which better support
the health, wellbeing, and productivity of their users.
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