KONDISI DI TEMPAT KERJAPERTEMUAN 16 & 17

Matakuliah : L0064 / Psikologi Industri & Organisasi 1Tahun : 2007 / 2008

Learning ObjectivesAfter reading this chapter, you should be able to:1. Identify what factors are considered to be key

elements of psychical working conditions2. Describe the focus of evolutionary psychology3. Explain how light, glare, noise, and color affect

employees in the workplace4. Describe how temporal working conditions affect

worker satisfaction, productivity, and absenteeism5. Explain how social-psychological working

conditions relate to the design of the job and its effects on employees

6. List the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting

Physical Working Conditions• Poor working conditions affect

– Job satisfaction– Performance– Retention

• Physical features of the workplace must be considered in light of complex psychological factors

Work Sites• Physical plant• Parking• Location of the work site• Amenities, such as gyms and spas

Office and Workplace Design• Physical features can create dissatisfaction or

frustration– Ventilation, heating, and air-conditioning (too hot in the

sun, too cool in the shade)– Office size and design– Slow elevators– Inconvenient or poorly maintained restrooms– Physical separation decreases communication– Access for disabled workers

Environmental Psychology• The study of the effect of workplace design on

behavior and attitudes– Concerned with the relationship between people and

their physical environment

• Combines psychology and architecture

Landscaped Offices

• Huge open space with no floor to ceiling walls– Uses planters, partitions, and bookcases– Facilitates communication and workflow– Standard design for companies with large numbers of

computer operators– Complaints relate to lack of privacy, noise, and difficulty

concentrating– Some employees who travel may have to book a room

(“hoteling”)

Environmental Factors• Illumination• Noise• Color• Music• Temperature and Humidity

Illumination• Inadequate lighting is a source of distress• Intensity varies with nature of task and age of

worker (older workers require more light)– Aircraft manufacturing 2000 foot-candles– Bank teller stations 150– Retail store interiors 30

• Lighting should be uniformly distributed – Indirect lighting is preferable to direct lighting

• Glare contributes to eyestrain and leads to errors in work within 20 minutes

• Most workers prefer the presence of natural light

Noise• Work exposure to decibel levels above 85

can lead to hearing loss; above 120 db can cause temporary deafness; above 130 db to permanent deafness

• U.S. government requires worker exposure to no more than 90 db for eight hour day; 100 db for two hour period; 110 db for 30-minute period

• Noise interferes with communication• High noise levels impair emotional well-being

and induce stress

Color• Claims that there are relationships between

color and productivity, fatigue, or job satisfaction are not supported by research

• Color can provide a more pleasant work environment and aid in safety practices

• Light-colored walls give the feeling of open space

• Blues and greens are cool colors; reds and oranges are warm colors. – Anecdotal evidence suggests these colors may

affect perceptions of temperature

Music

• Early studies reported that most workers liked having music and believed it made them more productive

• Music slightly increases productivity for dull, monotonous work, but not for more demanding work

• Muzak has been in business since 1934 – Their music is designed to meet changing needs

throughout the day• Research supporting the benefits of

workplace music generally lack scientific rigor and control

Temperature and Humidity• Productivity can deteriorate under

uncomfortable temperatures• Primary complaint of office workers is that

it’s too cold.• Highly motivated workers are better able to

function under temperature extremes than poorly motivated workers

• Automated office equipment increases temperature and lowers humidity to the point of dryness

Work Schedules

• Working hours• Permanent part-time employment• The four-day workweek• Flexible work schedules• Rest breaks• Shift work

Working Hours• The 5-day, 40-hour week became the norm

with the passage of FLSA in 1938• Nominal working hours and actual working

hours rarely coincide • Employees may spend no more than half the

workweek actually performing job related tasks• The longer the workday or workweek, the lower

the productivity (also applies to overtime)

Permanent Part-Time Employment• Part-time employment is the most widespread

form of alternative work schedule – >25% of workforce holds part-time jobs

• Part-time employment has grown faster than full-time employment

• Actual working hours of part-time workers exceeds that of full-time

• Part-time is attractive to those with family responsibilities and to the aging and disabled

The Four-Day Workweek• Usually involves 4 x 10 hr. days or 4 x 9 hrs.

• Initiative usually comes from management’s hopes for increased productivity, recruiting incentive, and reduced absenteeism

• There is evidence of a positive impact on satisfaction, but no impact on absenteeism or rates of productivity – However, there is a general belief that it aids

productivity

Flexible Work Schedules• Flextime is a system of flexible working

hours combining core mandatory work periods with elective work periods at the beginning and end of the day

• Advantages include avoidance of rush-hour, less absenteeism, more productivity, and satisfaction with the work schedule

• See www.familiesandwork.org

Rest Breaks• Management has recognized the

importance of rest breaks since the Hawthorne studies

• Employees will take breaks whether sanctioned or not

• Results in higher morale and productivity and lower fatigue and boredom

• Rest pauses also reduce repetitive motion injuries

• May result in more positive attitudes toward management

Shift Work• Usually three shifts : (7 AM - 3 PM), (3 PM - 11 PM),

and (11 PM - 7 AM)• Workers may be permanently assigned to a shift or

they may rotate– About 25% of workers perform shift work

• Workers tend to be less productive on night shift than day shift, and have more errors and accidents

• Disruption of normal sleep-wake cycle disrupts the body and requires recovery time

• Fewer problems occur with the fixed shift than with the rotating shift, even when fixed shift is at night

Psychological and Social Issues• Job simplification• Boredom and monotony• Fatigue• Ethnic harassment• Gender and sexual harassment• Telecommuting

Job Simplification• Job simplification is the reduction of manufacturing jobs

to the simplest components that can be mastered by unskilled or semi-skilled workers

• Advantages include efficiency, cost savings, and less training time required

• Disadvantages include less challenge, less satisfaction, lower morale, and lower quality

• Repetitive, simplified work can lead to cognitive deterioration usually associated with old age – Workers prone to absentmindedness and disorientation

Boredom and Monotony

• Inevitable consequences of job fractionation and simplification

• Results in tiredness, restlessness, discontent, and a draining of interest and energy

• What is boring for one person may be exciting to another – Motivation is the key

• Job enlargement, changes in activities, attention to physical environment, and a congenial informal workgroup help

Fatigue• Psychological fatigue is similar to boredom• Physiological fatigue is caused by excessive

use of muscles• Productivity negatively related to reported

feelings of fatigue• When the pace is gradual, workers can take on

greater physical labor • Rest periods should be prior to fatigue setting in• Fatigue appears and disappears throughout the

workday

Ethnic Harassment

• Workplace is becoming increasingly demographically diverse

• Ethnic harassment is an obvious source of stress that negatively affects productivity, satisfaction, and emotional and physical health

• Manifested as overt behaviors or slurs, jokes, and derogatory comments

• Targets of verbal harassment reported lower sense of psychological well being

Gender and Sexual Harassment• Sexual harassment involves unwanted sexual

attention and coercion• Gender harassment refers to behavior that

reflects an insulting, hostile and degrading attitude toward women in general– Does not necessarily involve sexual harassment

• Studies link harassment to low satisfaction, high stress and increased use of mental health services

• Frequently goes unreported due to fear of reprisal• Some disagreement on what constitutes

harassment

Telecommuting

• Estimated that 23.6 million U.S. workers telecommute at least part time

• Advantages include reduced overhead• Women are more productive than men in virtual offices• Telecommuting is attractive to employees with

dependent care problems or with disabilities• Some people miss the social interaction or find home to

be distracting or dislike “never being away from the job”• Nearly 20% of telecommuting programs fail

– One reason is that workers feel they are never free of the job

Key Terms• Environmental psychology• Flextime• Job simplification• Nominal working hours