New Ways of Working Network

Summary
Studies of stress in the work environment pay little attention to features of the physical environment
in which work is performed. Yet evidence is accumulating that the physical environment of
work affects both job performance and job satisfaction. Contemporary research on stress in the
work environment typically focuses on psychosocial factors that affect job performance, strain
and employee health, and does not address the growing body of work on the environmental psychology
of workspace. This paper reviews theory and research bearing on stress in the workplace
and explores how current theory might be applied to the relationship between worker behaviour
and physical features of the work environment. The paper proposes a theoretical model of the
worker–workspace relationship in which stress and comfort play a critical part, and suggests a
methodological approach on which to base future empirical studies. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley
& Sons, Ltd.