Concentration requirements modify the effect of office type on indicators of health and performance

This paper investigates the interaction between need for concentration on the job and six office types in relation to distraction, cognitive stress, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal efficiency and general health. 1241 employees from five organizations participated in the study. Cell offices were associated with lower reported levels of distraction and cognitive stress, and flex offices with lower distraction, among the employees compared with all other open-plan office types. There were no significant differences in the outcome variables between different types of open-plan offices. However, there was an interaction between office type and the need for concentration for the job; employees in the high need for concentration group reported more distraction in all office types except in cell offices and also more cognitive stress in all office types except cell offices and flex offices. In conclusion, cell offices may be preferable for tasks that require higher need for concentrations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.