Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University

Work-related stress is an issue of growing concern around the world.[1] The relationship between work stress and individuals’ psychological and physical health is well acknowledged.[2] In the survey of “stress in the workplace” conducted by American Psychological Association in 2012, two in five (41%) of employed adults report that they typically feel stressed during the workday, up from 36% in 2011, while less than six in ten (58%) report that they have the resources to manage work stress.[3] Historically, Central Business Districts are a focal point of cities, and are occupied by a large group of office buildings and a number of retail spaces. According to Elsbach and Bechky (2007), office workers regularly leave their offices in search of more relaxed, creative environments.[4] However, there is limited "third space" to serve office workers' daily life in the central business district. Most of the design research about wellness of office workers have done focus on the spaces in which people work during office hours. Consideration for office workers in the CBD after office hours is relatively rare. What else is needed to support the life of the office worker, and what kind of spaces they are looking for after hours. Several primary research methods were adopted. First, a survey of research on how the design of traditionally planned CBDs fails to support wellness of office workers was made. Then, the thesis examined what is needed to support the wellness of office workers. In order to make it be specific to the office workers in the CBD of Richmond, qualitative methodology, including interviews and video records of the daily CBD living habits were made. In addition, case studies of recently done CBDs that tackle this question. The Shibaura House, designed by Kazuyo Sejima, located in the business district of Tokyo in Japan, will serve as a primary case study. There are three aims in this research. First is the design of a series of mixeduse spaces in an existing building in the Central Business District of Richmond to support the life of office workers after office hours. It also aims to improve wellness of the office workers in the CBD of Richmond, and try to define the CBD in a new way. The preliminary results for this research indicates the importance of the concern for office workers after hours. It is necessary to focus on the practical effect of the mixed-use building on reducing work stress, improving office workers’ health and enhancing wellness of office workers.

Thesis (M.B.A.)—Boston University

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / This research sought to determine which skills were necessary for entry-level office workers in NH as perceived by secondary business teachers and training directors. 175 questionnaires of 263 were returned by secondary business teachers and 78 of 143 questionnaires were returned by training directors. Each questionnaire contained ninety-three competencies which were classified into seven general skill areas. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Lotus were used to analyze the data. Methods of analysis included frequency distributions, percentages, cumulative frequencies, means, cross tabulations, t-tests, and paired t-tests. The ten most important skills reported were: read/follow written directions, accurate typing, keep confidentiality, take accurate phone messages, follow oral instructions, type business letters, answer the telephone, demonstrate good listening skills, organize work, and proofread. The two general skill areas of the seven which need the most improvement were planning, organizing, decision-making; and written/oral communications. The nineteen individual skills of the ninty-three which need improvement in instruction were: answer the telephone, handle outgoing mail, keep confidentiality, meet and greet people, organize work, place telephone calls, read/follow written directions, set priorities, take accurate phone messages, work under pressure, work with interruptions, work without close supervision, demonstrate good listening skills, follow oral instructions, proofread, speak clearly and accurately, spell and define words, use correct grammar, and write legibly. Nineteen of the individual skills had a significant difference when analyzed by size of company with the larger companies placing a greater emphasis on importance. There was insufficient data to draw conclusions regarding necessary skills by the type of business. Size of school, school location, and number of business teachers had little effect on the necessary skills needed by entry-level clerical office workers although teachers in Northern NH placed a greater emphasis on the accounting skills than did teachers in Sourthern NH. The major implication of this study is that more emphasis needs to be placed on planning, organizing, decision-making, written and oral communication skills. / 2031-01-01

Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of vocational business teachers, entry-level office workers, and employers regarding employable qualifications for entry-level office workers in Utah. Business teachers, entry-level office workers, and employers were asked the following questions: 1. What occupational skills are performed by entry-level office workers? 2. What level off education is needed for entry-level office workers? 3. What are the reasons for selecting entry-level office worker applicants? 4. What are the reasons for not selecting entry-level office worker applicants? --- 5. What are the areas in which improvement should be made in the preparation of entry-level office workers? 6. What are the causes for termination of entry-level office workers ? 7. What are the personal characteristics desired by employers for entry-level office workers? 8. What is the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities in school to the job success of entry-level office workers? 9. What is the relationship between participation in on-the-job training programs and the job success of entry-level office workers? 10. What types of methods are used in the selection of entry-level office workers? 11. What further training is conducted by employers after hiring an entry-level office worker? Procedure The data for this study consisted of information obtained by questionnaires from vocational business teachers, entry-level office workers, and employers of entry-level office workers. Eighty percent of the 95 teachers surveyed responded, while 72 percent of the 232 businesses surveyed responded to the questionnaire. The data were then analyzed by one-way analysis of variance, Scheffe analysis, descriptive analysis and Chi-square programs. Principal Findings There is a difference between the perceptions of vocational business teachers, entry-level office workers, and employers regarding employable qualifications for entry-level office workers in Utah. Teachers indicate a greater frequency and a greater importance for the skills than did employers or employees. However, they do agree on the most important skills and the least important skills . There was a discrepancy among the three groups regarding the skills which were ranked between most important and least important . Teachers gave more importance to skills such as shorthand, filing, and running duplicating machines, while employers and employees gave more emphasis to the skills which require some sort of decision making or human relations skill. The three groups agreed that entry-level office workers need to complete high school before securing a job and that some college training was advisable. Personality was given as the primary reason for selecting entry-level office workers, while inability to communicate with employers was given as the primary reason for not hiring entry-level office workers. Once hired, making costly mistakes continuously was the reason given by the three groups for termination of entry-level office workers. Teachers viewed the ability to follow suggestions and instructions, employers the concern for productivity, and employees the ability to write and speak effectively as the areas most in need of improvement for entry-level office workers. Interviewing was the most common method used by employers in selecting entry-level office workers. Conclusion A continual evaluation of business education programs should occur to keep business education programs current with the changing demands of today's business world.

The workplace is considered a strategic location for health promotion. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, office workers represent up to 40% of the workforce in Texas and the general nature of the type of work is sedentary. Additional study is needed on how the built environment near the worksite area impacts walking behaviors and to determine interventions effective in increasing walking as part of daily routines among office workers. The two aims of this dissertation were: 1) investigate the differences that urban and suburban settings may have on walking behavior (walk trips, walk duration, total step count) of office workers in Texas and 2) to examine the impact of a simple intervention in increasing walking within the respective land use settings. This study utilized on-line survey and travel diary, pedometer, and Geographic Information System to capture the study variables, which included personal, social and cultural, organizational, and built environmental factors. Results showed that urban office workers walk, on average, 600 steps more per day than the suburban office workers. Office workers in both land use settings on average have not met the recommended level of walking steps per day of 10,000 steps per day (Urban Mean=4,932 steps per day, Suburban Mean=4,347 steps per day). Post-intervention step count averaged 5,734 steps per day for urban office workers in contrast to 4,257 steps per day for suburban office workers. This translated to a 16% increase and 2% decrease in walking steps for urban and suburban office workers, respectively. The built environment in terms of land use setting, urban versus suburban, and availability of land use destinations showed associations with walking behavior for office workers. Destinations positively associated with the number of walking trips, including access to bookstores and coffee shops. Access to convenience stores and food establishments for suburban office workers were more relevant for walking duration. Significant destinations for the urban office workers' walking duration per week included the number of banks and food establishments within one fourth mile from their office building. The results for the second aim, testing the tailored information intervention, were informative, though not significant. The intervention did not yield a significant change in walking step count, but provided insight on opportunities for future studies.

Graduate

Office workers spends about a third of the day at work and a majority of total daily sedentary behavior takes place at the office. Physical activity has positive effects on physical and mental health and could inhibit the adverse effects of a sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of seven weeks of deadlift training on productivity, strength and endurance in office workers of both sexes. An experimental group (n=12, age 40,1±6,6 years) performed deadlift 8rm during office hours, three times per week. The experimental group conducted physiological tests (8RM deadlift, maximal grip strength, Biering-Sørensen Test) and The Health and Work Questionnaire at baseline and after the intervention period. A control group (n=18, age 35,2±10,7 years) was recruited to compare questionnaire score with the intervention group. Results show that after the intervention the participants had increased deadlift strength (pre 80,4±28,4 vs. post 97,5±31,6, p<0,0001, ES=0,58) and demonstrated higher productivity (pre 6,5±2,0 vs. post 8,0±0,4, p<0,001, RP=0,57, CI95% [0,37, 0,76]), but showed no change in endurance of the back and hip extensor muscles (pre 130,8±45,1 vs. post 143±51,3, p=0,098) or change in maximal grip strength (pre 48,7±16,3 vs. Post 48,6±14,8, p=0,92). This implicates that deadlift training is a time and cost-efficient way to increase productivity in office workers and at the same time increase physical activity at the workplace, but further research of high quality is needed. / Kontorsarbetare spenderar cirka en tredjedel av dygnet på arbetsplatsen och ofta sker en majoritet av dygnets totala stillasittande på arbetsplatsen. Fysisk aktivitet har positiva hälsoeffekter på fysisk och mental hälsa och kan hämma negativa hälsoeffekter av en stillasittande livsstil. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka effekterna av sju veckors marklyftsträning på produktivitet, styrka och uthållighet hos kontorsarbetare av bägge kön. En interventionsgrupp (n=12, ålder 40,1±6,6 år) fick träna marklyft 8rm under arbetstid, tre gånger per vecka. Interventionsgruppen utförde fysiologiska tester (8RM marklyft, maximal greppstyrka, Biering-Sørensen Test) och The Health and Work Questionnaire vid baseline och efter interventionsperioden. En kontrollgrupp (n=18, ålder 35,2±10,7 år) rekryterades för att jämföra enkätpoäng med interventionsgruppen. Resultaten visar att efter interventionsperioden hade deltagarna blivit starkare i marklyft (pre 80,4±28,4 vs. post 97,5±31,6, p<0,0001, ES=0,58) och visade högre produktivitet (pre 6,5±2,0 vs. post 8,0±0,4, p<0,001, RP=0,57, CI95% [0,37, 0,76]), däremot uppvisades ingen förändring i uthållighet i ryggsträckarmuskulaturen (pre 130,8±45,1 vs. post 143±51,3, p=0,098) eller maximal greppstyrka (pre 48,7±16,3 vs. Post 48,6±14,8, p=0,92). Detta tyder på att marklyftsträning är ett tids- och kostnadseffektivt sätt att höja produktiviteten hos kontorsarbetare och samtidigt öka fysisk aktivitet på en arbetsplats, men det krävs studier av hög kvalitét som undersöker det ytterligare.

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According to Duxbury and Higgins 57% of full time employees reported high levels of stress. Stress is impacting the productivity, health and well-being of individuals, and the bottom line of employers. A growing body of evidence suggests exposure to nature, nature-based features, and biophilic design may offer a solution to reducing stress in the office workplace. This thesis brings together a comprehensive body of information drawn from the neurosciences and environmental psychology, including attention restoration theory (ART), psycho-evolutionary theory, Kellert’s biophilic design elements, and seven case studies, to propose key nature-based interior design strategies for stress reduction in office knowledge workers. Providing direct and indirect exposure to nature appears to have the strongest impact on mitigating the stress response. The importance of the integrated design process (IDP), post-occupancy evaluation (POE), and barriers to incorporating biophilia centred design practices are addressed and process strategies proposed. / October 2015