Factors Affecting For Productivity

Productivity in the workplace is a focus of attention for most organizations. The balance between the demands of work and the well being of the individual is paramount if productivity is to be maintained or enhanced (Atkin and Brooks, 2000). When considering about the productivity factors it is generally depends on four cardinal aspects of personal, social, organizational, and environment. Figure represented the factors that are affecting to the productivity.

Factors affecting for productivity

In here, Organization is refer to the managerial role organizational structure, Personal
is refer to the career achievement home /work interface intrinsic to job, Social is refer to relationship with others and Environment is refer to indoor climate workplace. As before mentioned in chapter one section 1.5, the scope was limited to only discuss about the indoor environmental factors that are affecting to the productivity. There are essentially two ways in which the work environment can impact on productivity through enabling or hindering it. The ways in which the environment adversely affects worker satisfaction and performance are fairly well known and empirically established (Atkin and Brooks, 2000)

Generally, indoor environment is a dynamic interaction of spatial, social and physical factors, which affects productivity, health and comfort. The indoor environment and consequently the health of people can be affected by building materials and construction as well as the service systems. A complete analysis of the indoor environmental quality should take into consideration more than indoor air quality and thermal comfort. It should include the quality of lighting, sound levels, layout of individual work spaces, colour schemes, building materials, indoor CO2 concentrations, radiation and electromagnetic fields, dust levels and biological constraints (Clements and Croom, 2000).


INDOOR ENVIRONMENT FACTORS
Physical Factors

• Indoor air quality

Indoor air quality is one of the major areas of dissatisfaction amongst workers. It is an umbrella term for a variety of factors that include ventilation, pollutants and moisture (Atkin and Brooks,2000). Recent research results have demonstrated for the first time that air quality has a significant effect on the productivity of industrial workers, in both positive and negative terms (Roelofsen ,2002).

• Noise Control

Noise and vibration at high levels can be both physiologically and psychologically harmful: they can obstruct communication and mentally disturb the worker, resulting in job performance impairment and / or accidents. When noise distraction is a problem, people rate it as a serious hindrance to productivity, although they do not claim the absence of noise to be an important benefit. Even so, some level of background noise is, in fact, thought to be beneficial to concentration. Noise at inappropriate levels increase mistakes and slows work rates. People also tend to use more simplistic problem solving methods. Thus, as noise distraction becomes more troublesome, people not only work less effectively they think differently, leading to a quality cost as well as a productivity cost. Noise causes breaks in concentration, making it harder to address takes that requires sustained concentration and reducing the ability to make creative leaps. It also interferes with the ability to differentiate relevant issues from those that are unimportant ( Atkin, and Brooks,2000).

• Thermal Comfort

The thermal environment has a considerable effect on performance and is even measurable within the comfort zone (Roelofsen ,2002) Thermal comfort tends to receive the highest number of complaints in most user surveys. Overly cool conditions make people restless, impairing concentration and increasing error rates, particularly for demanding mental tasks. Being too warm can cause weariness, sleepiness, a reduction in performance and a tendency to make mistakes (Atkin, and Brooks, 2000).

• Lighting

Lighting levels have a very minor effect on productivity unless the task is very visually demanding. As with many other factors, the ultimate effect of light and lighting on human well – being is determined in part by individual perception and satisfaction (Atkin, and Brooks, 2000).

• Aesthetic Choice

Aesthetic choice in office design affect human behaviour and job performance, influencing worker’s perceptions of the work 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 may benefit from contrasting colour schemes that pick out important objects (Atkin and Brooks, 2000).


Ergonomics Factors

Many industrial organizations have heard about the cost savings associated with preventing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the work place. The savings these organizations have most likely heard about have been focused on reduced workers' compensation claims, lower insurance premiums, less employee turnover, and possibly avoiding regulatory fines. What some companies haven't heard is that improving ergonomics almost always can improve a company's productivity.

Any ergonomics intervention must be viewed in light of its effect on productivity, and the best ergonomics solutions will often improve productivity. Simply put, reducing unnecessary or awarkward postures and exertions almost necessarily reduce the time it takes to complete a given task improving productivity (www.ergoweb.com, 2002).

Health And Safety Factors
Occupational health and safety is significantly impact on work place productivity. There are many ways a healthy and safe work environment can make the employees and the company more productive. In all workplaces the health and safety of employees is closely linked with the company's profitability (Oxenburgh et.al.n.d.).

Any employer wants to avoid the consequences of an unsafe and unhealthy business environment, such as frequent sick leave, higher insurance premiums and training to replace absent employees a safe work space is also more motivating (BDC, n.d.).

More recent studies clement (2000) shown that productivity at work bears a close relationship to the work environment. Improving indoor environment will provide a high return on investment through productivity gains, health saving and reduced energy use. The benefits of improved indoor environment are improved productivity, increased profits, greater employee- customer- visitor health and satisfaction, and reduced health costs.