Introduction

In the current time of globalized and competitive business era, the physical environment of an organization is considered one of the most important and significant factor that not only affect a company’s business performance & success but also organizational behavior. Today, top management including owners, managers, and supervisors are paying too much attention on improving workplace conditions in order to enhance employee’s performance. Poor organisational structure, infrastructural design, unstable business operations are the internal elements that directly affect a company’s performance as well as organizational behavior. Now days, most of organizations are investing millions of dollars on improving physical environment and enhance labor skills. It is not one of the primary responsibilities of a company and its management to pay special attention on creating more suitable work conditions for its workforce. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of physical environment on organizational behavior.

Physical Environment

Physical environment in a company includes a range of elements including furnishings, buildings, equipment, air quality, lighting, flexible team work spaces etc. The organizational people such employees interact with these elements within the workplace. The physical environment is totally different than other environment such as: natural environment, social and cultural environment. Physical environment is play fundamental role facilitating and organizitnal actions. On the other hand, it should also be noted down that, physical environments involve larger objects relatively fixed and long-lasting arrangements. But, companies invest huge amount on expensive installations (Goodall, Jr., 2001). So, a company should have clear cut understanding of the effect of physical environments on organizations behavior.

Effect of Physical Environment on Organizational Behaviour

Today, employees are considered most valuable assets for a company. This is the main reason that a company is investing millions of dollars on improving physical environment. Moreover, office workforce spends much of their time inside a company such as building where the physical environment has a direct impact on employee’s behavior. Simply, it can be said that, it affects employee’s work performance, wellbeing, and productivity. In order to produce better outcomes, a company tries to improve its physical environment. This makes employee more satisfied. Lighting, air quality, noise conditions, temperature in the workplace affects the work productivity and organizational behavior. Hence, effective and specific physical environment have specific effect on behavior, productivity, performance and perception of employees. In contrast, poor physical environment have negative impact on organizational behavior and performance of employees in workplace. So, there is a strong relationship among physical environment and organizational behavior. It is because indoor temperature, workplace design, noise, color, interior plants have direct impact on organizational behavior (Elsbach, 2003).

Past studies on effect of physical environment suggest that, employee satisfaction, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions etc are directly related with the physical environment. This is the main reason that, today’s companies are building effective physical environment including lighting, noise, existence window, temperature etc. All t

• Effect of physical workplace design: Physical workplace design is positively affect the behavior of employees. For instance, private offices are provided by the company in order to enhance performance of the employees. Along with this, it should also be noted down that, a company focus on improving workplace design for the purpose to improve productivity of the employees.
• Effect of indoor temperatures on performance: Indoor climate of a company is not only affect employee behavior but also health and performance in the workplace. Comfort factor improve attitude and behavior of the employees and results in increased organisational and individual performance. This is the reason that air condition system is installed in the working environment. Along with this, stress level of employees can be minimized by managing indoor temp. In the same way, a company should also pay attention on investing the money on installing new instruments within the company or workplace (Vilnai-Yavetz, Rafaeli, & Yaacov, 2005).
• Influence of Color in office Environment: Colors in the offices or workplaces are not only important but also essential to improve the efficiency in the working environment. It is because each color has its unique identity and affects the human body. As outcomes, productivity and behavior in the workplace are directly affected by the colors, structure, space, lighting etc. Apart from this, it is also important to know that, colors have great positive impacts on the mood, productivity and wellness of employees. Some colours provide calmness, some provide comfort, some are stimulating and many others have an impact in different way. Hence, it is important for a company to choose appropriate colour to change the mood of employees and encourage more productivity. Past studies reflect that productivity is positively related with the productivity and play key role in the working environment. Hence, it can be said that, a company should pay on using appropriate color in the workplace environment.
• Noise as a Psychosocial Stress: In the big companies, noise or sound problem is one of the issues which cannot be avoided. Hence, there several technologies are used in order to reduce noise and enhance employees work productivity. Apart from this, to reduce the impact of noise a floor covering is installed. Moreover, some additional spaces such as small rooms are provided to employees for the discussion so that noise level can be avoided successfully. Felt pads’ on typewriters is also installed by the companies to deal with the issues of noise (Kahneman, 2003).
• Influence of Interior Plants on Employees: In the present time of technology based era, interior plants are becoming common in the work places and commercial settings. Interior plants are used in the companies to change the physical response, behavior and attitude of employees. These reduce stress level of employee and enhance work performance and productivity successfully. In the same way, natural environment have positive impact on the employee’s attention successfully (Elsbach & Bechky 2007)..

Conclusion

Based on the above findings, it can be concluded that, physical environment of a company directly or indirectly affect employee’s work performance, attitude, job satisfaction level, and individual success. The study is also indicates that, employees those are not happy with the physical environment (water quality, temperature, lighting, noise conditions) of a company may affect organisational behavior. The work productivity has close link with the physical environment of a company. At the same time, it can also be summarized that, a company should also consider both internal and external elements of physical environment such as: interior plants, workplace color, dust levels etc. It is because, it has a direct great influences on the organizational behavior.

References

Elsbach, K. D., & Bechky, B. A. (2007). It’s more than a desk: Working smarter through

leveraged office design. California Management Review, 49, 80–101.

Elsbach, K. D. (2003). Relating physical environment to self-categorizations: Identity threat and affirmation in a non-territorial office space. Administrative Science Quarterly, 48, 622–654.

Goodall, Jr., H. R. (2001). Writing the American ineffable, or the mystery and practice of feng shui in everyday life. Qualitative Inquiry, 7(1), 3–20.

Kahneman, D. (2003). A perspective on judgment and choice. American Psychologist, 58, 697–720.

Vilnai-Yavetz, I., Rafaeli, A. & Yaacov, C.S. (2005) Instrumentality, aesthetics, and symbolism of office design, Environment and Behavior, 37, 533-551