The impact of workplace design on academic staff: A systematic literature review

The physical work environment can impact workers' productivity, job satisfaction, health, and well-being. Workplace design has become a key strategic resource for many organizations and is also highly relevant to universities. The field of workplace design is expanding, but research focusing specifically on workplace design for academic staff is limited. This systematic literature review maps the current literature on workplace design for academic staff and analyses it according to a theoretical framework of office productivity, examining components of both the physical and behavioural environments. The review identified 32 relevant studies. This literature review examines various types of office designs and identifies several features that need particular attention. The results show that the most positive outcomes of more open office designs were increased interaction and more informal meetings, while the most negative outcomes were lack of privacy and noise disturbances. The workplace should facilitate both collaborative and individual work. While there is no universal solution to this issue, finding the right balance between the two is crucial, as it significantly impacts productivity, well-being and job satisfaction.