We’ve all heard how our workplace can affect our motivation before. Whether it’d be a dirty workplace or just the fact that your brain isn’t getting enough activity, it and many other factors are a constant concern for business, and it even has its field of study. But just how true are these assumptions and what could be a way to solve these issues?
A recently published study by Joseph Grzywacs, a Florida State University researcher, has revealed some interesting results. The test was carried out with a total of 4,963 adult subjects, of which 47% were male, and 58% were female.
The study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, carried out by Grzywacs and his crew obtained results that point towards a possible increase in the cognitive function of adults.
The research was grounded, Grzywacs and his colleagues decided to investigate how their environment and the work they were made to do influenced their ability to complete tasks, learning and maintaining new information and even functioning skills.
Among the results of the research was how the brain was able to give a better cognitive performance if the person in question, particularly women, were engaged in activities that kept their minds focused and allowed them to expand their knowledge.
The other results, however, showed the opposite effect. They were able to confirm that adults who worked in dirty or uncomfortable environments were more likely to underperform, and their cognitive functions took a dive to match this.
Part of these effects is also thought to be something that can become more likely with age. It’s no surprise that as people get older, they lose their ability to retain knowledge, this is the case if they’re not motivated, can become hard.
The study also offers a way to remedy this, of course. Aside from trying to keep workplaces ordered and clean. Businesses are pushed towards giving their workers more important roles or activities that can keep them focused and open-minded, help in keeping their cognitive abilities up as well as their motivation.
The workers can also make sure their work area is clean and ordered; they can even bring some stuff to help them feel more comfortable, as long as it’s not something that’s distracting them.
Other factors influence how people can work as well, though. Aside from cleanliness, there’s also illumination and sound, among other things that can affect a person’s motivation and focus.
In the end, it’s up to everyone to try and figure out a better way for them to work, regardless of age or gender if everyone focuses on making their workplace a better place, then productivity can only go up. For senior management, this is an important note on why it is important to ensure that your office has a conducive environment – after all, you want them happy and productive!
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