THE ORGANIZATION AS A PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF WORK: PHYSICAL STRUCTURE DETERMINANTS OF TASK ATTENTION AND INTERACTION (OFFICE DESIGN, SPACE, KNOWLEDGE)

Social, structural and technological representations of organizations have been receiving increasing attention as sources of explanatory variables in theories of organizational behavior. Such environmental approaches are equally compelling at the organizational and the individual levels of analysis. However, the restriction to social, structural and technological representations overlooks the possibility that physical features of the environment may also influence organizational behavior. This research examines the relationship between physical structure, social structure and knowledge work behavior at the individual level of analysis.;A field study was conducted in two high technology firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. The study involved measuring the dimensions of physical structure using objective measures, and soliciting the participation of a sample of 131 office workers in measuring the dependent, social structure and sociability variables. The dependent variables were measured using a participant self-reported activity log form. Data on social structure and sociability were collected via a questionniare.;All physical structure and social structure variables were found to be significantly correlated with the work behavior measures. Overall, physical structure was not significantly related to social structure. Multiple regressions of task attention and interaction on all independent variables provided support for models including position level, task interdependence and accessibility.;The results suggest that physical structure influences ability to assess interaction potential thus determining the time required for interaction search, while other factors (i.e., social structure) determine the content and duration of actual interactions. Task attention is indirectly influenced by environmental variables which act directly to determine the amount of time spent in instrumental interaction and interaction search. The conclusion that is reached is that choices concerning design and usage of offices are not simple. Such choices depend upon knowing what types of behavior are desired, in what quantities and in what proportions.;Physical structure is represented by the variables of accessibility, density, visibility and layout efficiency. The dependent (work behavior) variables of interest are task attention and interaction. Additional variables representing job and social structure and individual differences in sociability are included in order to examine the physical structural determinants of work behavior in a broader context.