To continue the last blog, we will discuss the effects of MOBILISATION, MULTIFUNCTIONING and stress as well as the significance of physical and cognitive wellbeing.
2.MOBILITY
Thanks to the disruptive technologies (see blog 1.) we can practically have the world in our pockets, we are no longer required to be at our desk or a PC to get our job done. According to a study (Worldwide Mobile Worker Population 2009-2013 Forecast) which was made by IDC (International Data Corporation) 34,9% of the world’s entire stock of employees do their job in mobile mode. Of course, there are big differences in accordance with the level of development in each country, for example in the USA 75,5%, in Western Europe 50,3%, and in Asia 37,4% does so. However the trend is undeniable. But who are these mobile workers? First, those who don’t need an office to carry out their work (e.g. field sales), second, those who can perform their jobs from home, and third, those who work in the office but don’t finish their job at their desks but at different points of the office thanks to laptops and Wi-Fi. Another interesting by Steelcase shows that one fascinating feature of mobile working is the increased demand for cooperation. Seeing these trends it is worth considering the future function of the office space. The goal is no longer to install desks between the walls but something completely new! I will write about this in a later blog.
3.Umbilical cord, multitasking, stress and cortisol
The positive potential of technical development carries negative ones as well. For example, the umbilical cord effect (24/7), meaning that if there is no internet connection, we feel sick. Practically, we are connected to the ‘Almighty Internet’ 24 hours a day, every day of a week. In the morning, we just woke up and already checking the weather forecast, the fresh news and important e-mails. When traveling, we often use Google Maps and a music streaming service. During the day we share our experiences on social media with our friends. From sport to cooking, for any hobby or for watching TV (smart TV) in the evening, we can find myriads of applications, all of which strengthens our addiction to internet. Thanks to smart TVs, we can enjoy this on wide screen or even in 3D. Surveys show that we use average 40 sites or applications every day. This is a lot! In the modern era, a single person processes more data in a few months than their ancestors in the middle Ages in a lifetime.
We are in constant battle with time, so we try to get more things done at the same time. This leads to the development of a kind of dependency, because of which we will think we will miss something or we are not doing our job right without multitasking. However this is a big mistake, as the human brain is not made to cope with several tasks at once. Just imagine the caveman while hunting a mammoth and not concentrating on that single activity. Multitasking might have easily cost his life.
This phenomenon has grown to the extent that scientific researches examine its effects. In the book (. Dave Crenshaw: The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done )
we can find some interesting data. According to the book if we are dealing with several tasks at once, our efficiency decreases by 40%, we make more mistakes and waste more time, etc. (see the infographic)
The consequence of the written above is not only the deterioration of performance but more importantly, chronic stress, which appeared as a global epidemic, leads to depression on the long run. 6 out of 10 workers experience work-related stress. China has the highest work-related stress index: at 86%! Stress also affects economy, e.g. in England 13.7 million days’ worth of work is lost due to factors in relation to chronic stress, which is equivalent to £ 28.3 billion. Australians are not at work for an average of 3.2 days because of chronic stress.
Once we have talked about stress, let me mention the hormone cortisol. This is an anti-stress hormone, produced by the adrenal, helps the body to react to stress. It regulates blood pressure and cardiovascular functions, affects insulin production, metabolism and the immune system. Normally the level of cortisol is high in the morning and it is reduced by the end of the day.
In case of a stressful situation the body needs high levels of anti-stress hormones to fight with the impact. The current level of cortisol can easily be detected from the blood, urine or saliva. Due to the latest scientific methods our hair grows 1 cm a month and it is the best indicator to measure cortisol levels back to several months. A constantly high level of cortisol pinpoints a stressful lifestyle.
In case of prolonged chronic stress the adrenal is unable to meet the ongoing needs of the body, which will lead to adrenal exhaustion. This will cause glucose imbalance, unstable blood pressure, heart failure, excessive fatigue and dizziness, anxiety etc.
An experiment by the Ohio State University and the National Institute of Mental Health proved that our physical environment has an influence on our level of cortisol. Two groups working on the same project were examined. One of the groups were placed in a depressing office environment (dark, low-ceilinged room with noisy air conditioning) yet the other group had a modern, bright and open office space. The levels of stress hormone was much higher in the first group than in the second one.
WELLBEING & COMMITMENT
The most recent research data show an alarming trend: the health and wellbeing sense of workers, and their commitment has a declining trend in the world.
Needless to explain why this is unfavorable by employers. Deteriorating health and poor commitment among employees adversely affects individual performance and organizational productivity. Today, the well-being of employees is a better business than ever since it provides a competitive advantage in the market. Organizations who are willing to invest in physical, mental and spiritual welfare and treat this holistic thinking as a part of the business strategy can expect a high pay-off.
In the next blogs we will examine, how can the office space contribute to this strategy.
Kis Károly | Károly Kis
ügyvezető partner | Managing Partner | BLUE Business Interior Kft.
