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Office Management Build Bright University

Taught by Soeung Channeang for internal use only 1

Chapter 2: Office Environment and Layout Design

I. OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

EMPLOYEES’ PRODUCTIVITY AND JOB SATISFACTION CAN BE AFFECTED SIGNIFICANTLY BY THE

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY WORK. LOW PRODUCTIVITY AND EMPLOYEES’

DISSATISFACTION CAN AFFECT THE FINANCIAL WELL-BEING OF THE ORGANIZATION.

What is Office Environment?

The office environment is multifaceted (Complex) factors, including

lighting, color scheme, acoustics (sound), and condition of the air.

In modern office system they use computerized to control on

environment elements this is referred to as a smart office



1. The Impact of the Office Environment on Employees

AN UNSATISFACTORY ENVIRONMENT OFTEN RESULTS IN

DECREASE LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY AND EMPLOYEE MORALE

INCREASE IN ABSENTEEISM AND TARDINESS OF EMPLOYEE

INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ERRORS MADE BY EMPLOYEE

IN EXTREME CASE, THE EMPLOYEES’ PHYSICAL WELL-BEING MAY EVEN JEOPARDIZED

(RISK)

2. The Healthy Office Environment

The syndrome (symptom) manifests itself among employees in the

following ways: headaches, dizziness, abnormal tiredness, nausea,

breathing difficulties, sore throats, upper-respiratory infections,

coughing, skin rashes, and so forth.



What Conditions detract from a healthy environment?

Repetition motion injuries

Electromagnetic radiation

Indoor air pollution

Noise pollution

Lighting systems

3. Combination of office Environment

3.1. Light

Affecting employees both physically and psychologically. Physically,

inadequate lighting increases employees’ fatigue (tiredness) as a result

of excessive eyestrain. Psychologically, inadequate lighting results in loss

of morale and eventually causes a decrease in the quantity and quality

of employee performance.



3.2. Color

Color is another element of the office environment that impacts

significantly on humans such as their productivity, fatigue, morale,

attitudes, and tension.

Colors tend to create moods

Cool colors-blue, green, and violet-create calm and retiring

moods.

Warm colors-red, orange, and yellow-on the other hand, create

warm and cheerful moods.

The natural tints, including beige, buff, peach, and off-white, are

mildly stimulating, while deep purple and pale violet often

create depressing moods.

Gray tends to have a sleep-inducing effect.



3.3. Noise Control

THE NOISE LEVEL IN AN OFFICE IS ANOTHER ENVIRONMENT FACTORS THAT MUST BE

CONSIDERED. HIGH NOISE LEVELS PRODUCE FATIGUE AND HAMPER PRODUCTIVITY, AS WELL

AS CAUSE NERVOUS CONDITIONS, TENSION, AND IRRITABILITY. IN ADDITION, HIGH NOISE

LEVELS CAN INCREASE ONE’S BLOOD PRESSURE AND METABOLIC RATE, BOTH OF WHICH OVER

TIME CAN CREATE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS.

The goal of a noise control system is to produce speech privacy.

3.4. Conditioning the Air

The air in which employees work also impacts on their physical and

psychological well-being. In fact, with employees spending 90 percent

on their working hours indoor, air quality is a major concern. Air-quality

factors involve temperature, inadequate mechanical ventilation, and

air cleanliness.



3.5. Music

A music system produces several beneficial results. Music in an office

helps increase job satisfaction and productivity by eliminating boredom

and monotony. Music also has the general effect of relieving mental

and physical fatigue and reducing nervous tension and strain.

4. Conservation (protection) of Energy in Offices

The Energy Conservation Program: energy conservation committee, an

energy efficiency study, and the development of goals for conserving

energy.



Conservation Energy in the

lighting System

Conserving Energy in the

Heating/Cooling System

1. Use the appropriate amount

of light

2. Provide sufficient light in a

given area

3. Turning off lights when not

needed.

4. Use high-intensity discharge

lamps

1. Reduce the temperature to

23 or 25 0C

2. Make sure windows and

doors seal properly

3. Use reclaimed heat where

possible

4. Adjusted the temperature of work

areas when they are not being

used



5. Installing automatic light

control

6. Clean bulbs and tubes

regularly

7. Use light color that reflect

light throughout the office

8. Reduce outside lighting

9. Replace aging fluorescent

tubes and light bulbs

10. Conduct energy control

5. Reduce ventilation during

nonworking hours

6. Installation of an automatic

control device

7. Make sure heating and

cooling equipment is

properly maintained

8. Maintain proper humidity

levels



5. Office Security

Security has two dimensions: protection of the organization’s physical

property and protection of the organization’s vital information (data

and records)

II. OFFICE LAYOUT

The layout of an organization’s work areas can significantly affect both

positively and negatively to its productivity. Layout design requires

consideration of the interrelations between the following three

components: equipment, flow of work, and employees.

1. It provides effective allocation and use of floor space

2. It creates a pleasant working environment for employees.



3. It has a positive impact on the organizational clients

4. It facilitates efficient workflow.

5. It provides employees with efficient, productive work areas.

6. It facilitates future expansion when the need arises

7. It facilitates employee supervision



1. The Preliminary Planning Stage

Tasks

Work Flow

Organization Chart

Projection of employees

Needed in the Future

Communication Network

Departmental Organization

Private and General Offices

Space Requirements

Specialized Area

Reception Area

Board of Conference Room

Computer room

Mail Room

Printing and Duplicating

room

Central records area

Safety Considerations

Barrier-Free Construction

Expansion

Environmental Conditions

Equipment and furniture



2. Costing of Office Space

When an organization calculates the cost of its office space, a number

of factors must be considered such as rent or mortgage payments,

utilities, maintenance, maintenance services, taxes, insurance, required

environment control equipment, special assessments, operating licenses

and permits, and so forth.

3. Open Office Concept

The original concept of ‘open plan’ was simply to organize large

numbers of workers in one large office rather than in shared or

individual rooms.



Benefits of the open office concept

1. The cost of changing layout in an open space office is much less

than changing conventional layout.

2. Cost of office installation in open space is less than conventional

space.

3. The elimination of permanent walls and private offices increases the

amount of usable floor space.

4. Improves office productivity by increasing the efficiency or work

flow, improving communications, improving worker, morale,

increasing the feeling of worker involvement, and creating more

comfortable working environment.

5. Help conserve energy because heating, ventilation, and air

conditioning systems are not impeded by permanent walls.



1. Modular Workstation Approach: is the use of panel-hung furniture

components to create individual work areas

2. Cluster Workstation Approach: is the clustering of work areas

around a common core, such as a set of panels that extends from

hub like spokes in a wheel

3. Landscape Approach: is a blend of the modular and cluster

workstation approaches.



4. Principle of Office Layout

Principles of Effective Layout

1. Interrelationships among

equipment, information, and

personnel

2. Work flow should move in as

straight a line as possible.

3. Work flow should revolve around

major source documents.

4. Hierarchical and communication

relationships between individuals

should be considered in planning

layout.

8. Space allocation should be based on

the position of the individual, the

nature of the work being performed,

and the amount of spatial equipment

required.

9. Groups or individuals providing

specialized services should be located

near those who use the specialized

services.

10. Furniture and equipment should

meet user needs.



5. Individuals or work groups

performing similar or related

duties should be located near

one another.

6. Individuals or work groups with

frequent public contact should

be located near the entrance to

the premises.

7. Individuals or work groups whose

tasks require considerable

concentration should be placed

in a low-traffic, quiet area of the

building.

11. Aisles should be sufficiently wide to

accommodate the rapid, efficient

movement of employees.

12. Safety considerations

13. Large open areas are more efficient

than are smaller enclosed areas.

14. Adequate provisions have to be

made for lighting, decor, air

conditioning, humidity control, and

noise control.

15. Concern for future expansion is

important.

16. Work should come to the employee,

not vice versa.



5. Preparing the Layout

Template: Consisting of scaled versions of furniture and equipment,

are typically constructed of cardboard or plastic.

Cutouts: individual furniture or equipment drawing are simply cut

from the sheet.

Plastic Models are scaled versions of various pieces of office

furniture and equipment

Magnetic Board: magnetized models of furniture and equipment

are also frequently used for preparing office layouts.

Computer-Aided Design: uses computer technology and the

appropriate software to assist in designing an effective layout.