Junaida Ismail, Mahadir Awis, Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin & Afida Arapa / Voice of Academia Vol.5 No

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1 Junaida Ismail, Mahadir Awis, Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin & Afida Arapa / Voice of Academia Vol.5 No The Influence of physical workplace environment on the productivity of civil servants: The case of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Putrajaya, Malaysia Junaida Ismail (Corresponding author) Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) P.O.Box 187, Merbok, Kedah, Malaysia Tel: Fax : junaidaismail@kedah.uitm.edu.my Mahadir Awis Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) P.O.Box 187, Merbok, Kedah, Malaysia Tel: Fax : mahadir_ladisma@kedah.uitm.edu.my Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) P.O.Box 187, Merbok, Kedah, Malaysia Tel: Fax : hajjar@kedah.uitm.edu.my Afida Arapa Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Locked bag 71, 88997, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Tel: Fax : afida151@sabah.uitm.edu.my ABSTRACT In the context of office environment, when employees at their most productive level, blend with their surroundings, that is what is known as we call productivity occurs. Employee Productivity can be defined as the efficiency level of individuals productions or output in performing a job (Haynes, 2007). Meanwhile, physical work environment can be defined as the working environment that consists of components that are related to the office occupiers ability to physically connect with their office environment (Haynes, 2008). Generally, this study is to investigate whether there is a relationship between the physical environments (comfort level; temperature) with employee productivity. 152 civil servants were selected from four (4) main units in Ministry of Youth and Sports, Putrajaya. Findings of the results show that physical environment (comfort level, temperature) strongly influences the employee productivity. In conclusion, it is hoped that this paper will provide some information to the top management, on the importance of the physical work environment (comfort level; temperature) on the productivity of civil servants. Keywords: Civil Servants, Physical Work Environment (Comfort Level; Temperature), Employee Productivity, Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia 71

2 1. Introduction Since independence in 1957, public sector reform has been a part of the Governments agenda. The 1980s reformations revolved around the need to improve the quality of public sector management. The administrative reforms of the nineties were guided by the underlying philosophy of quality, with emphasis on administrative reforms, improvements of information, service delivery and productivity of civil servants (Ahmad Sarji, 1994). Reformations in public sector management includes the introductions of several numbers of new ministries with their own portfolios, one of them being the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia or KBS was established in 1964 in conjunction with the National Youth Day. It emphasize on programmes that implement the national policy for youth and sports development. Moreover, the function of KBS includes the arrangement of Rakan Muda Programmes, the provision of training centers for youth, and registration of sports bodies. Today s working environment differ from the past, it is due to the advancement of technology and the variety of roles played by the civil servants. Vischer (2008) stress that conducive environments should be prioritized as it provides support to the employees in carrying out their jobs. Previous researches have shown that, many organizations linkede their productivity increment in employees to the acquisition of skills. However, about 86% of productivity problems still exist in the work environment of organizations (Taiwo, 2010). Productivity in an organization can be influenced by a wide range of internal and external variables. The physical work environment has effects on the productivity of employees. The conditions of physical work environment influence the employee s functions and it will determine the well being of organizations. Physical Work Environment includes the internal and external office layout, temperature, comfort zone and also the office work setting or arrangement. Previous research done by A.R. Ismail, N. Jusoh, R. Zulkifli, K.Sopian and B.M. Deros (2009) showed that 80% of the sample agreed that the influence of physical work environment (comfort level, temperature) has a great influence on the productivity. This study has been conducted among the workers in the Malaysian automotive industry. The result showed that environment comfort level has a great influence on the productivity of the employees. Exposure to excessive heat during work may cause discomfort and contribute to low productivity among the workers. It is supported by Brenner (2004), who are asserted that the productivity of employees within an organization depends on the conditions of their work environment. The survey 72

3 Junaida Ismail, Mahadir Awis, Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin & Afida Arapa / Voice of Academia Vol.5 No revealed that the quality of comfort in work environment determines the level of productivity of workers. Worker productivity cannot be optimal, if the conditions of work environment are not favorable. In order to maximize employee s productivity and satisfaction, shifting trend towards an office based on employee s needs be crucial. Therefore, the physical work environment like office layout and comfort level such as temperature should be designed as such that the clerical workers themselves feel comfortable in their working place. Distractions in the workplace have impacts on the productivity of the workers and major distractions include unsuitable physical work environment (comfort level, temperature). Temperature can be defined as a physical property that underlies the common understanding about hot and cold (Seppanen, Fisk & Lei, 2006). Kaplan and Aronoff, (1996) and Schiller, Bauman and Benton (1988), emphasized that temperature in the office means the degree of hotness and coldness in the workplace where the workers spend their time also to do their job everyday. Physical work environment (comfort level, temperature), also substantially influence health of the employees. How will it affect the employees productivity? It can actually be measured based on the percentage of the work productivity per Celsius in the physical work environment in the organizations. Niemela et.al, 2002, shown the results is pretty consistent where they are showing an average relationship of a 2% decrement in work performance per Celsius when the temperature is above 25 Celsius. Furthermore, it has been found that a low temperature has a relation to the performance of manual tasks given by the management. In nutshell, the room physical work environment (comfort level, temperature), really stimulates creativity in employees. It is due to the employee productivity problem contributed from their bad physical work environment (comfort level, temperature). Improvements in physical work environment (comfort level, temperature), should be stressed to maintain, retain and stimulates creativity of each employee in an organization, especially those government officials who are attached to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia. 2. Methodology This research was carried out among civil servants in the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia. 152 respondents were selected from several units including Human Resources, Quality Management, Sports and Youth by applying the stratified random sampling technique. The research objective is, to determine the significant relationship between physical work environments (comfort level, temperature) and employee productivity. 73

4 2.1 Data Collections The questionnaire was administered to a sample of civil servants in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia to collect data on their perceptions on how the physical work environment affects employee s productivity. The questionnaire is divided into two (2) sections. Section A, queries about the demographic information, the department attached to as well the working experience each employee. Meanwhile, the Second B emphasized on the three (3) main influences of employee productivity at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, that is the aspects relating to physical environment (comfort level, temperature) and physical environment (office layout) and employee productivity. Rating is prioritized by using the Likert Scale (5 point-scale), (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree and Strongly Agree). 2.2 Data Analysis There are two data analysis applied in this study. Descriptive analysis and correlations analysis is used to test the significant levels. The Hypotheticaldeductive methods are used to answer the research hypothesis and research objective statements. 3. Results 3.1 Descriptive Analysis The total size of four units selected was 152 samples. The demographic was examined in five elements including gender, age, race, experience and the department itself. Majority of the respondent are females constituting a higher percentage (56.6%). Table 2, shows the range of the age of the civil servants involved in this study. The age range of years old forms the highest percentage (41.4%), followed by years range (26.3%), years range (10.5%), > 40 years (12.5%) and the lowest respondents involved the age range years old (9.2%). As mention early, there are four units involved the majority of the respondents comes from the Human Resources unit the Youth unit (28.3%) each, the Sports units (23.7%) and finally the Quality Management unit (19.7%). The respondents had significantly shows the wide ranges of experiences. The Majority of respondents have 1-5 years experience (45.4%), < 1years (27.6%), 6-20 years (11.8%), > 15 years (9.9%) and the lowest between years experience (5.3%). 3.2 Correlation analysis Based on the Table 5, the study had established that physical environment (comfort level, temperature) is the dominant factors that influenced the 74

5 Junaida Ismail, Mahadir Awis, Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin & Afida Arapa / Voice of Academia Vol.5 No employee productivity in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia. The result shows r=0.607 and p < 0.05 (p=0.000). Accordingly, the null hypothesis is rejected. Based on this result it is shown that the physical environment is really important in maintaining employee productivity. Employers should stress on providing a proper work environment to increase the productivity among employees. This result is in line with the previous studies done by Western Electric company at their Hawthorne Plant in the The Hawthorne studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his associates at Hawthorne Plant of Western Electric Company (Chicago). The experiments, spread over a period of nine years ( ), stressed that the management should concentrate on human situations, motivation, employer-employee relations, stability of the labor, conducive working conditions and supervision. The Hawthorne studies came up with a test which involves taking two (2) sample of group employees and putting in them into two (2) different rooms. This study provided two differenc physical work environments (comfort level, lighting and temperature). Based on this study, one room is provided with maximum lighting and comfort levels (lighting and temperature) are there; while another group of employees are placed in a room with poor physical work environments (comfort level, lighting and temperature). The second room can be classified as a dim and there is no suitable temperature or control system for the room. As a result it showed that comfort levels such as proper degrees of lighting and temperature provided are needed in maintain and sustain the productivity level of each employee. Bad physical work conditions such as poor lighting and high temperatures may cause and contribute to the lack of productivity of employees in an organization. That is the reason why our former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir decided on high class and sophisticated design during the new development of new government offices, with the hope that the productivity of civil servants will be increased. 4. Conclusions As a result from this study, there is a significant relationship between physical environments (comfort level, temperature) with civil servants productivity. Finding of this research is in line with Taiwo (2010), Choa, Milton and Burge (2003), Brill, Keable and Fabiniak (2000) and Brill (1992). The result of this study hence of the essence for the government at any levels to discover ways of improving and updating infrastructural facilities in order to make physical work environment more conducive for enhancement of civil servants productivity. Besides that, each public sector should also emphasize seriously on the 75

6 physical environment to promote a healthy and harmonious work environment. The idea on the goodness of physical work environment will creating and maintains the productivity level among civil servants in an organization. By preparing and providing the good physical environment (comfort level, temperature) it is hope that all civil servants are willing to come to their office without any enforcement (dollar and sense considerations) but it is because of their self belonging, lovely and harmonies physical work environment place to work with. References Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid. (1994). The civil service of Malaysia: Towards Vision Kuala Lumpur: Government of Malaysia. A.R. Ismail, N. Jusoh, R. Zulkifli, K.Sopian & B.M. Deros. (2009). Thermal Comfort Assesment: A Case Study at Malaysia Automotive Industry Brill, M., Keable,E. & Fabiniak, J. (2000). The myth of open plan. Facilities Design and Management Journal, 19 (2), Brill, M. (1992). Workspace design and productivity. Journal of Healthcare Forum, 35 (3), Choa, H.J., Schwart, J., Milton, D.K., & Burge, H.A. (2003). The work envi ronment and workers health in four large office buildings. Jurnal of Environmental Health Perspectives,111 (9), Haynes, B.P. (2007). Office Productivity: A Shift from cost reduction to human contributions. Journal of Facilities Management, 25 (11), Haynes, B.P. (2008). The Impact of office comfort on productivity. Journal of Facilities Management, 6 (1), Kaplan, A., & Aronoff, S. (1996). Productivity paradox: worksettings for knowledge work. Journal of Facilities, 14 (3), Niemela, R., Hannula, M., Routio, S., Reijula, K., & Railio, J. (2002). The effect of indoor air temperature on labour productivity in call centers: A case study. Energy and Builidng Journal. 34,

7 Junaida Ismail, Mahadir Awis, Siti Hajjar Mohd Amin & Afida Arapa / Voice of Academia Vol.5 No Schiller, G., Bauman, F., & Benton, C. (1988). A field study if thermal environments and comfort in office buildings. ASHRAE Transactions, 94 (2), Seppanen, O., Fisk, W.J., & Lei, Q.H. (2006). Effect of temperature on task performance in office environment. Labour Review, 136 (3), Taiwo, A.S. (March 2010). The influence or work environment on workers productivity: A case of selected oil and gas industry in Lagos, Nigeria. African Journal of Business Managemen, 4 (3), Vischer, J.C. (2008). Towards an environmental psychology of workplace: How people are affected by environments for work. Journal of Architectural Science Review, 56 (2), Retrieved from Sex Table 1: Gender of Respondents Frequency Percent Male Female Total Age Table 2: Age of Respondents Frequency Percent years old years old years old years old > 40 years old Total

8 Units / Department Table 3: Units of Respondents Frequency Percent Human Resource Quality Management Sports Youth Total Year Table 4: Working Experience Frequency Percent < 1 years years years years > 15 years Total Comfort Level, Temperature Table 5: Correlation Analysis Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N