6. Conclusion
Normally, offices are the daily reality of work for the
majority of the population in most societies. Office
employees often spend more than 40 hours per week at their
workstations; therefore, the office environment plays a
significant role in the daily life of a large number of people.
So, the question here is: How can a building influence its
occupants’ attributes and working behaviour such as ability,
motivation, and performance? The answer is in a study by
Heerwagen (1998): a building can positively affect one’s
ability by providing comfortable ambient conditions, or by
enabling the individual to control and adjust environmental
features and conditions, and also by reducing health and
safety risks. A building can also negatively affect an
individual’s attributes through uncomfortable, distracting,
and dangerous environments. So, a building (or physical
environment) can provide a situation to encourage and
enhance positive and effective performance, personal control,
and psychological engagement.
The result of this review indicated the importance of the
effect of physical environment of workplace on people’s
well-being, satisfaction and performance. In fact the
physical environment of workspace can affect employees’
information channels, interpersonal interactions, and the
availability of knowledge and equipment. Furthermore, it
can influence individuals’ (or group) ability to arrange and
control their situation for continuity and coherence with
the whole organization, so physical space in work
environment can contribute to people and organizations’
competitive advantages. Thus, promoting individuals’