The impact of personality type and job description on the office environment needs of clerical workers and managers

The percentage of office workers in the U. S. workforce has grown to record proportions, and with it a substantial increase in office space. At the same time, however, the productivity of office workers has declined.

Studies have shown, however, that productivity can be increased substantially when the office environment meets the needs of workers. This research proposed that these needs might be determined by two factors: personality type and job description.

Ninety-one clerical and managerial office workers were given Myers-Briggs Testing Indicators to determine personality type. These subjects then created scale models from scale-model office furniture of what they considered to be the workspace having optimum function, comfort, and efficency for them in their current jobs.

Environmental needs for facets such as percent enclosure, lineal feet of worksurface, and orientation of the entrance to the primary worksurface were measured from the scale models. Data was then analyzed to determine if environmental needs were determined by personality type or job description.

The results showed minimal relationships between environmental needs and personality type. However, some significant relationships were found between these needs and job description. It was also concluded that need for environmental facets is determined more by the total combination of facets together rather than individually.