4.4.1—Physical work conditions

4.4.1 Physical work conditions.

• impact of physical work conditions on productivity and the Hawthorne effect, e.g. Kompier (2006).
• impact of the design of the work environment focusing on open plan offices, including a study, e.g. Oldham and Brass (1979).
• Relevant issues and debates and methodology for this topic include: determinism versus free-will, experiments, questionnaires, longitudinal studies, quantitative and qualitative data.

This matters because —physical work conditions determines what can be inferred or chosen; begin with the stated conditions and keep the conclusion tied to the evidence.

Example: apply —physical work conditions to one small, clearly defined case, show the key step or comparison, and explain the result in words.

Boundary: —Physical work conditions is not a universal recommendation. Check the syllabus scope, assumptions, units and the limits of the evidence before generalising.