Office Environment Unit 4

UNIT 4 : OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

UNIT STRUCTURE
4.1 Learning Objectives
4.2 Introduction
4.3 Office Environment
4.3.1 Working Condition
4.3.2 Lighting
4.3.3 Temperature and Ventilation
4.3.4 Noise
4.4 Office Furniture and Equipment
4.5 Let Us Sum Up
4.6 Further Reading
4.7 Answers to Check Your Progress
4.8 Model Questions

4.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

 describe the office environment
 analyse the requirements of office furniture and equipment.

4.2 INTRODUCTION

In the earlier unit, we got a fail idea about office management, office
administration and office layout. In this unit we are going to discuss about
office environment, like working condition, lighting, temperature and
ventilation and noise. A the end of the unit we will also discuss about office
furniture and equipment.

4.3 OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

The main purpose of an office environment is to support its

employees in performing their job at minimum cost and to maximum
satisfaction. In an office there are different types of people who perform
different tasks and activities; however, it is not always easy to select the
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Unit 4 Office Environment
right office spaces and environment. Office environment consists of the
entire working environment of the office. Office environment includes various
aspects like, working place, working condition, working hours, working
equipment, training facilities, incentive payment system etc.
Office environment affects the efficiency of the office personnel. An
employee working in the office cannot work efficiently unless provided the
right type of working environment.

4.3.1 Working Condition

Working conditions can be defined as the conditions in which an

individual or staff works in an office, including such things as amenities,
physical environment, stress and noise levels, degree of safety or
danger, and the like. If the working condition of the office is suitable, it
helps in improvement of the mental and physical fitness of the
employee, which ultimately helps in increasing profit for the
organisation. To aid decision-making in workplace and office design,
one can distinguish three different types of office spaces: work spaces,
meeting spaces and support spaces. Work spaces in an office are
typically used for conventional office activities such as reading, writing
and computer work. Meeting spaces in an office are typically used for
interactive processes, like conversations or intensive brainstorms.
Support spaces in an office are typically used for secondary activities
such as filing documents or taking a break. Provision for spaces as
indicated above is very important for smooth functioning of an office.

4.3.2 Lighting

Lighting is one of the most important physical conditions required in

the office. Lighting should be adequate for the type of work being
performed in the office. Most people like to be able to see daylight
as it gives them a feeling about how the day is going outside and
natural light is also thought to make people feel better too. Monitors
need to be positioned facing away from windows so that there is no
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Office Environment Unit 4
glare or reflection on the screen. Most people also like to be able to
control the artificial lighting levels in their work area but individual
control is not often possible in large offices. Different amounts of
light are needed for paperwork and screen work as screens emit
their own light. However the following lighting principles are applicable
while selecting the lighting facilities:
 The light must be sufficient for the work but not too strong,
otherwise it will be resulted to glare.
 Lighting system should be cost effective.
 The walls should be decorated in light shades in order to gain
the maximum light reflection.

4.3.3 Temperature and Ventilation

Temperature and ventilation are very important aspects in an office.

It is clearly important to be warm enough, but temperature and
humidity can also make a difference to how alert or tired an office
worker feels by the end of the day. Ventilation refers to supply of free
air at the right temperature and of right humidity. Offices often
become too hot and stuffy. The requirements of good ventilation are
that there should be a constant flow of fresh air to remove staleness
without causing draught.

4.3.4 Noise

Noise in offices can affect concentration, can be an irritation, and

can be a source of stress to some people which ultimately affects
the efficiency of the worker. With the development of quieter
equipment, especially printers, noise levels in offices have generally
decreased. However, in open-plan offices it can still be a problem
with the noise mainly due to people. For example, telephones left
ringing at an unattended desk, conversations being held in areas
where people are trying to concentrate. Noise may be either internal
or external depending upon the area from which it is generated.
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Unit 4 Office Environment
Screens, carpets and good quality flooring and ceiling tiles can help
to absorb noise. Below the office machines which create noise in
operation, felt pad can be placed which reduce the noise.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: State any two principles for selecting lighting facilities.

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Q2: Why do we need proper temperature and ventilation facilities in
the office?
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Q3: How noise can be reduced?
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4.4 OFFICE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT

There are four main criteria which forms the basis of judgement as
to the suitability of a piece of office furniture, which are: (a) is it functional,
(b) is it attractive, (c) is it hard wearing and (d) is its cost within the budget?
Depending on these issues the furniture should be selected for purchase.
In light of the above criteria, a number of basic factors which should
be considered when buying office furniture are as follows:
 Design : Size of the furniture, its look and suitability for the purpose etc.
 Saving in Space : Some furniture is specially designed to save floor space.
 Appearance and Comfort : The furniture should look attractive as well
as comfortable to use.
 Durability : The furniture used should have durability.
 Weight : If furniture has to be moved around, as it is often done in a
large office, light weight is preferable and fiberglass is very suitable.
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Detail structures of some of the office furniture are given bellow :
 Seats : Seats should be adjustable so that the range of users can be
accommodated comfortably and they provide support where it’s needed.
Computer seats are available with more features than general seat,
many of which make sitting more comfortable. Armrests can provide
good support but should be removable if it is not required, or they restrict
posture. Now a day, while working on computers and in work desks,
employees are required to move and get close to the desk and computer.
The seat arrangements should facilitate this movement.
 Desks : Desks are usually a standard height of about 720mm. This is
fine for most people, but it should check to make sure that all users can
be seated comfortably at a desk of this height. Particularly short or tall
people may need an adjustable-height desk.
 Computer : The computer hardware should also be placed in such a
manner that using it is unlikely to cause injury or discomfort. The type of
problems that people may get from using their computers is often
described as Repetitive Strain Injuries (‘RSI’), Work Related Upper Limb
Disorders (WRULDs) or musculoskeletal disorders/discomfort. The
main risks to users from computer hardware a probably the keyboard,
mouse and monitor. The electric wires and the necessary gadgets
should be placed in such a manner that it facilitates ease of operation
and office efficiency. Many times, productivity in an office goes down
because of improper planning in office lay out. Likewise, as it has been
discussed, arrangements of office equipment and their placing plays a
very important role in improving office efficiency.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 4: What are the criteria for selecting office furniture?

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Unit 4 Office Environment

4.5 LET US SUM UP

In this unit we have discussed the following aspects in details:

 The main purpose of an office environment is to support its employees
in performing their job at minimum cost and to maximum satisfaction.
Office environment includes various aspects like, working place, working
condition, working hours, working equipment, training facilities, incentive
payment system etc.
 There are basically four main criteria which form the suitability of office
furniture, which are: (a) functional quality, (b) attractiveness, (c) hard
wearing and (d) cost effectiveness.

4.6 FURTHER READING

1) Balachandran, V. and Chandrasekaran, V. (2009), Office Management,

Published by Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.
2) Chopra, R. K. and Chopra, Ankita (2009), Office Management, Published
by Himalaya Publishing House.

4.7 ANSWER TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans. to Q. No. 1 : Two principles for selecting lighting facilities are

 The light must be sufficient for the work but not too strong, otherwise
glare will result.
 Lighting system should be cost effective.
Ans. to Q. No. 2 : To make the work environment more comfortable, we
need proper temperature and ventilation facilities in the office.
Ans. to Q. No. 3 : Noise can be reduced by using screens, carpets and
good quality flooring and ceiling tiles which can help to absorb noise.
Ans. to Q. No. 4 : There are four main criteria for selecting office furniture
are : (a) functionality, (b) attractiveness, (c) hard wearing and (d)
costeffectiveness.

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4.8 MODEL QUESTIONS

Q1: Discuss in detail about the factors influencing office environment.

Q2: Discuss in details about the requirements of office furniture and
equipment.

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