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Expectations of employees toward the workplace and environmental satisfaction

So Young Lee (Graduate School of Human Environmental Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea)

Facilities

ISSN: 0263-2772

Article publication date: 15 July 2006

9403

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to prove the linkage between environmental satisfaction and work outcomes; to investigate how employees perceive characteristics of their physical environment and what they expect of their workplace; and to consider the usefulness of gap approach in measuring employees' expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire measuring workplace characteristics was developed. The questionnaire design is based on the propositions of SERVQUAL. The employee population used in this study was limited to office workers in manufacturing headquarter facilities or office settings in Michigan, USA. Of the 409 completed questionnaires, 384 were analyzed for this study.

Findings

Satisfaction with the workplace was positively associated with job satisfaction. Using linear regression analysis, no significant difference was found between perception‐based measures and gap measures for explaining work environment satisfaction. However, results propose that physical environmental status below expectation levels leads to dissatisfaction, but exceeding expectation levels does not increase satisfaction levels.

Research limitations/implications

The items used in this study regarding physical environmental characteristics are not exclusive enough to concisely encompass workplace characteristics. Future studies need to develop a more sophisticated measure.

Practical implications

The results from the gap model highlighted which aspects of the workplace employees would like to see improved. The gap measurement is effective for use in managerial decisions to improve and diagnose physical environmental features.

Originality/value

This study explored both perception and expectation levels of employees of the workplace in relation to satisfaction with workplace.

Keywords

Citation

Young Lee, S. (2006), "Expectations of employees toward the workplace and environmental satisfaction", Facilities, Vol. 24 No. 9/10, pp. 343-353. https://doi.org/10.1108/02632770610677628

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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