Action regulation theory

Action regulation theory addresses the cognitive regulation of actions. Action regulation is taking place on three levels: automated regulation, flexible action patterns, and intellectual regulation. These regulation levels are activated on an as-needed basis in order to sequentially perform actions contributing to achievement of goals and sub goals. Action regulation is described in terms of regulation requirements (complexity) and regulation possibilities (control). Applied to the work environment it provides a psychological account of regulation problems or environmental stressors in three broad categories. Regulation obstacles refer to regulation difficulties caused by unfavourable environmental conditions and interruptions by people. Overtaxing regulations refers to overload caused by overstimulation by task inherent factors, physical environment, or social environment. Regulation uncertainty refers to qualitative overload. Action regulation theory generally contributes to the understanding of job demands, resources, and stressors at work and its application in workplace research allows to identify and understand environmental influences, as part of work conditions, on employees

Administrative Arbeitsplätze für das medizinische Personal

In Spitälern werden neue Arbeitsplatzkonzepte für die administrativen Tätigkeiten des medizinischen Personals diskutiert und erprobt. Bekannte und bewährte Bürokonzepte wie «shared office» müssen für diese Art von Arbeit adaptiert werden, weil die Tätigkeiten der Ärztinnen und Ärzte durch sehr häufige Wechsel des Arbeitsorts und kurze Tätigkeitszyklen charakterisiert sind

Usability theory : adding a user-centric perspective to workplace management

Usability theory has its roots in ICT. It has been adapted and applied in the workplace. Usability marks a shift from a functional-technical perspective on workplaces to a focus on user experience and the interaction between users and their work environments. Usability of workplace theory describes these interactions in terms of culture, context, and situation and relates them to core components of usability: effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The usability perspective can be applied in strategic, developmental, operational, and evaluative phases of workplace projects as well as in workplace-related processes and continuous improvement. Usability of workplaces is discussed as a theoretical approach and regarding the application in usability briefing, usability evaluations, and usability management

Switching behaviour in activity based working environments : an exploration of the reasons and influencing factors of switching behaviour in ABW

Purpose: Opposed to underlying assumptions of ABW offices, previous empirical studies ascertained a tendency that employees do not frequently switch between different activity settings. Even though ABW is more and more becoming the default office concept, employees’ switching behaviour has not been investigated in depth. This study aims to understand employees’ switching behaviour by determining reasons to switch and not to switch and various influencing factors of switching behaviour. Theory: Switching behaviour is defined as switching between different places within an office building with work-related, preference-based and/or social purpose, including breaks. Switching behaviour is divided into mandatory and voluntary switching. Mandatory switching is switching due to scheduled activities (meetings) as well as switching due to confidentiality issues. Voluntary switching refers to discretionary switching that may be motivated by a perceived mismatch between either activity or preference, and environment. According to previous research, dissatisfaction with environment can cause switching between different settings in an ABW office. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire study was conducted across Switzerland and Belgium, and 124 employees from various organizations and departments participated in the questionnaire. Frequency analyses were conducted to determine reasons (not) to switch, and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to identify influencing factors of switching frequency. Findings: Findings show that the majority of the respondents switch multiple times a day, which runs counter to the previous research. In addition, the study revealed clear evidence that mandatory switching frequency is independent of various factors suggested in this study. This indicates that the distinction of mandatory and voluntary switching is valid. Furthermore, privacy, acoustics, distraction, proximity to team/colleagues were ascertained as reasons to switch, and place preference/attachment, proximity to team were determined as reasons not to switch. Originality / Value: Overall, this study contributed to understanding switching behaviour better by defining, distinguishing switching behaviour, and identifying reasons (not) to switch and influencing factors of switching frequency. These findings can provide more knowledge of switching behaviour to workplace or facility management practitioners so that they can understand their employees’ needs and behaviour better and integrate this into workplace concepts and design

Call for a definition and paradigm shift in energy performance gap research

There is a growing interest in research dealing with energy performance gaps of buildings. Energy performance gaps are usually defined as the difference between energy demand as predicted during the planning phase and energy demand as measured during operation. It is assumed that the research strand, by reducing such gaps, contributes to the United Nations SDGs 7 (clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities) and 13 (climate action). However, in this conceptual article based on literature review we argue that blind spots in the current definition of energy performance gap research (embodied energy, gap between optimal and planned energy performance, greenhouse gas emissions, dynamic character) and weaknesses of frequently used scientific paradigms (techno-economic, psychological) may lead to the fact that the measures identified to eliminate energy wasting and climate-damaging practices are of limited value. In fact, it is quite possible that conventional energy performance gap research even contributes to perpetuating such practices. The authors therefore call for a definition and paradigm shift in energy performance gap research, suggesting two broader definitions of the research subject (called life cycle energy performance gaps and climate performance gaps) and a promising alternative scientific paradigm (practice theory)

Eine explorative Untersuchung der Einflüsse von ABW-Büromerkmalen auf die Wahrnehmung der Organisationskultur

Dieser Beitrag der Zeitschrift Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation. (GIO) untersucht, wie Designmerkmale aktivitätsorientierter Arbeitsumgebungen (activity-based working, ABW) Einfluss auf die Wahrnehmung von Clan-Organisationskulturen nehmen können. Bisherige Forschungsarbeiten haben Designmerkmale selten isoliert von anderen Eigenschaften der physischen Umgebung betrachtet und in Zusammenhang mit Organisationskulturen gestellt. Es wurden halbstrukturierte Interviews mit acht Teilnehmenden aus verschiedenen Organisationen geführt, die eine ABW-Umgestaltung mit Ziel einer hierarchisch flachen Clan-Kulturentwicklung miterlebt haben. Die Mehrheit zuvor berichteter funktionaler und assoziativer Einflüsse auf Clan-Kultur-Indikatoren wie Kommunikation, Zusammenarbeit, Beziehungen, Zugehörigkeit und kollegial-beratende Führungskultur wurden identifiziert. Besonders Unterthemen, wie z. B. dynamische Atmosphäre, fokussierter Austausch, Offenheit und Firmenidentifikation wurden bestätigt oder neu identifiziert. Querschnittsthemen, die funktionale und assoziative Einflussmechanismen vertiefen, waren Zugänglichkeit, Serendipität, psychologische Distanz und Territorialprinzipien. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Bürogestaltungsmerkmale auf komplexe Weise mit der Organisationskultur zusammenhängen; die Bürogestaltung scheint die Organisationskultur unterstützen zu können

Studying the influence of technology on the social connectedness of students : a hybrid university learning environment (HULE)

Student social connectedness is indicated to be changing as universities are becoming more digitalised. Although social connectedness is shown to have a significant influence on the learning process, little is understood about the relationship between student social connectedness and the hybrid university learning environment (HULE). This empirical study aims to develop understandings by exploring student social connectedness in a hybrid-style class at a Swiss university. The study applies theories of placemaking and socio-materiality to explore students’ self-reported and observed perceptions of individual social connectedness at the start of a university master’s level course. The qualitative study is conducted using questionnaire data and observational data collected over the first month of a new course starting in the Autumn semester. The findings indicate that although students favour flexibility to design their learning space, they require the appropriate tools and guidance in which to make effective decisions for their social connectedness. Understanding the correct implementation of co-design for the HULE is therefore deemed important to facilitate social connectedness, this is particularly necessary for the liminal space. These findings are preliminary as part of a larger research project and offer a basis for further research to be developed. This study offers an innovative perspective of the HULE based on student social connectedness, impacting the existing pedagogical approach for university courses

Field study of natural, mechanical and hybrid ventilation systems of 27 office buildings in the temperate zone country Switzerland

Analyses in this study focus on characteristics of three different clusters of ventilation for office buildings. These comprise natural, mechanical and hybrid ventilation. In a major project study, extensive data was collected from 27 office buildings. Besides physically measurable parameters, psycho-social-oriented surveys of building users and information about building-specific constructional or building technology were compiled. In a selection, results of indoor air quality (IAQ) and indoor environment quality (IEQ) were compared with current standards. Thom’s Discomfort Index (DI) suggested that, for all three clusters, populations feeling discomfort are to be expected during the summer months. Responses for certain aspects corresponding to IEQ and IAQ showed a remarkable seasonal divergence of satisfaction with air temperature for naturally ventilated buildings. The appearance of stagnant air is found to occur in its strongest form in naturally and hybrid ventilated buildings. Mechanically ventilated buildings were reported as having the lowest values for satisfaction with air humidity in winter. Each ventilation system comprises characteristic advantages and disadvantages. A tendency might favour, at least seasonally, mechanically or hybrid ventilated buildings. Differences between these two systems are not significant in this sample. The result raises the question of how much technical effort is actually necessary to provide satisfactory ventilation