Workplace Library by Topic

Changing Nature of Work and Trends

The nature of work is always changing, driven by societal influences, work dynamics, and emerging trends. Haworth monitors leading indicators of change to know what's next, and how trends might affect an organization's work environment.

Alternative Workplace Benchmark
Does Place Still Matter
Environmental Sustainability Through New Ways of Working
Designing for Collaborative Learning
Designing for a Distributed Workforce
How Our Prehistoric Past Influences Modern Office Environments
Knowledge in the Workplace
Metaphors for Office Design
Office Environments to Support Future Organizations
Revisiting Office Space Standards
The Hoteling Experiment: Lessons and Questions
Team Workspaces
Unmuddling Teams
Mindscapes: Design for the Mind
From Knowledge Workers to Knowledge Athletes: Think About Baseball
Office Etiquette 101

Change/Transition Management

An effective change/transition management program aligns an organization toward a common goal. We consider ways to overcome employee resistance to change, create shared understanding, and increase the probability of success.

Should your Company Transition to an Open Office Plan
The Dogma of Moving Minds Managing Transition
Facilities Strategies Shifting the Focus from Space Performance to Human Performance
Strategic Blueprint Flexible Support for Dynamic Workstyles
Facilities Strategies to Support Corporate Change and Flexibility
Strategic Blueprint Balancing Cost Effectiveness with Support for Corporate Change and Flexibility

Collaboration

Workplaces that enable and enhance collaboration also foster innovation. Haworth studies group effectiveness and group dynamics in the workplace to make the most of opportunities for greater collaboration.

Intercultural Collaboration
Physical Space and Social Interaction
Impact of the Physical Environment on Knowledge Worker Performance
Team Workspaces
Unmuddling Teams
Ethnographic Assessment of Individual and Group Privacy Needs

Daylight and Views

Our research into daylight and views confirms their tremendous importance within a work environment. When properly incorporated into the workplace, natural light and views can enhance psychological factors (such as stress reduction) that can influence job satisfaction.

Effects of Control Over Office Workspace
An Easy, Effective, and Useful Measure of External View
Why Daylight and Views Matter

Employee Engagement

Employees who are engaged feel more connected to the company's goals, which can lead to improved execution and performance. Employee engagement research identifies ways to keep the best workers and make them more productive by considering their expectations, competence and fit, resources, and motivation.

In Search of Measuring Workplace Productivity-Summary
Rewarding Knowledge Worker Productivity Beyond the Corner Office
Linking Indoor Environment Conditions
Designing for a Distributed Workforce
How Our Prehistoric Past Influences Modern Office Environments
Knowledge in the Workplace
The Hoteling Experiment: Lessons and Questions
Mindscapes: Design for the Mind
The Importance of User Control
Economics of Ergonomics
Ethnographic Assessment of Individual and Group Privacy Needs
Privacy Matters
From Knowledge Workers to Knowledge Athletes: Think About Baseball

Ergonomics

Our research into ergonomics, or designing for human needs, allows us to improve occupant comfort, increase productivity, and help reduce injuries in the work environment. Haworth puts a great deal of effort into creating products that adapt to individual users' needs.

Anatomy of a Chair
Ergonomic Seating Evaluation Form
Every Back is Different
Objectively Determining Comfortable Lumbar Support in Task Seating
Office Ergonomics: A Review of Pertinent Research
Anatomy of a Planes Height-Adjustable Table
Zody's Research Summary
Ergonomic Features and Benefits of the Improv H.E.
The Research Behind Zody
Zody's Ergonomic Features and Adjustments
Ergonomic Checklist for Computer (VDT) Workstations
Preventative Measures for Common Musculoskeletal Disorders
Facilities Strategies Shifting the Focus from Space Performance to Human Performance
The Importance of User Control
Cognitive Ergonomics: A Definition
Economics of Ergonomics
Prevention of Mouse Related Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Ergonomic Seating Guide

Generations

Right now, there are four generations working side-by-side in the work force. It's important to understand their varying attitudes and expectations, and how this impacts workspace design. We've learned that many issues cut across age groups, and a flexible, adaptable workspace can serve all workers and workstyles.

Designing Across Generations
The Moral of The Element and The Scion
Are Gen-Y's Brains "Modular" or "Unconscious"
Office Design Challenges
The Myth of Multi-Tasking

Organizational Culture

Assessing organizational culture provides designers with a foundation to create environments that support the way an organization functions and expresses itself. When the environment is aligned with an organization's culture, brand, and goals, the result can be more effective facilities, employees, and the organization as a whole.

An Introduction to the Competing Values Framework
Four-Organizational-Culture-Types
Defining Culture and Organizational Culture
Diagnosing Organizational Culture
Office Environments to Support Future Organizations

Privacy

The number 1 desire in the workplace is privacy — the ability to perform distraction-free, individual work when necessary. Our privacy research focuses on how visual and acoustical privacy affect job performance and satisfaction, and how to balance individual and group work in an open plan environment.

Maintaining Productive Privacy in an Open Workplace
Speech Privacy: Exploring Improved Solutions 
Unmuddling Teams
Ethnographic Assessment of Individual and Group Privacy Needs
Privacy Matters
The Impact of Architectural Pricacy Features on Performance Stress and Informal Learning

Sustainability

Sustainable products and practices can positively affect people, the environment, and the bottom line. For Haworth, this is played out in every way possible — from processes and materials that minimize our impact on the environment to adaptable Organic Workspaces that can be reconfigured to reduce waste and expense.

Environmental Sustainability Through New Ways of Working
Sustainability by Design: Deconstruction

Technology

Advances in technology continually influence the way we work and how business is done. Our efforts in this area help determine which technologies best enhance individual, facility, and organizational performance.

Alternative Workplace Benchmark -Summary

Workstyles

Workspaces need to accommodate a wide range of individual workstyles. Our assessments create a framework for considering behavior, personality, comfort, distraction, and task complexity to improve workers' satisfaction with the environment. This can be linked to greater productivity, job satisfaction, and, ultimately, commitment to the organization.

One In a Million Individual Work and Space
In Search of Measuring Workplace Productivity-Summary
Strategic Blueprint Flexible Support for Dynamic Workstyles
Designing for a Distributed Workforce
How Our Prehistoric Past Influences Modern Office Environments
Knowledge in the Workplace
The Hoteling Experiment: Lessons and Questions
Team Workspaces
Ethnographic Assessment of Individual and Group Privacy Needs
Privacy Matters
From Knowledge Workers to Knowledge Athletes: Think About Baseball
Office Etiquette 101