Indoor environmental quality and occupants’ productivity: green certified office buildings in Sri Lanka

Abstract

There is a potential link between indoor environment and occupants’ productivity, which has identified in previous literature. Especially, there is an effect of the quality of indoor environment, where, people spend 90% of their time indoors. Indoor Environmental Quality is become a growing concern to ensure occupants’ health, wellbeing, and personal productivity. However, the deficiency of research in this area gave an importance to conduct this study. Accordingly, this research is to determine the relationship between Indoor Environmental Quality and occupants’ productivity in green buildings. Survey approach was selected under quantitative phenomenon, as this research is focused to determine the relationship between variables quantitatively. Both questionnaire survey and semistructured interviews were conducted among occupants in green certified office buildings in Sri Lanka. The survey data was analysed using nonparametric statistical analysis techniques; significance testing and Spearman’s Correlation. SPSSv.20 software was used in data analysis. The Indoor Environmental Quality factors identified through literature were evaluated to identify significant factors influencing occupants’ productivity. According to the test statistics, seven significant factors were identified as the first stage of data analysis where they showed statistically significant correlation to the major Indoor Environmental Quality dimensions. As the second stage of analysis, the relationship between Indoor Environmental Quality factors and occupants’ productivity was determined. As the test results showed, air quality and acoustical partitioning factors confirmed a statistically significant weakly positive monotonic correlation whilst system control showed strongly positive monotonic correlation to the occupants’ productivity in green buildings. The test results were further discussed by stating the qualitative findings and extant literature. As the outcome of this research, the relationship between significant Indoor Environmental Quality factors and occupants’ productivity was reviewed and evaluated. As per the findings of the research, facilitating more provisions on air quality and acoustic quality would effect to ensure the productivity improvements of green building occupants.