Physical Workplace as a Strategic Asset for Improving Performance in Public Organizations

Abstract

This article asserts that more purposely designed physical workplaces could contribute to performance improvement by leveraging human capital and management capacity in public organizations. It provides an initial survey of the literature on workplace design by introducing a synthesis of available research drawn from environmental design, organizational ecology, social psychology, architecture, political science, and business and public administration. Based on the literature review, I developed a model of organizational performance that underscores the importance of "place" variables, such as space arrangement and indoor environment. The model implies that physical workplace has a significant impact on affective, behavioral, and performance outcomes in the organization. The article concludes with implications for theory and practice in using workplace strategy for organizational excellence.