SJWEH Supplements are open access, (mostly) non-peer-reviewed articles usually published in theme issues or as part of a series of papers from a conference or workshop. Scand J Work Environ Health stopped publishing SJWEH Supplements in 2009.

Article

SJWEH Supplements 2008;(no 4):43-45    pdf

Impact of management attitudes on perceived thermal comfort

by Derksen T, Franchimon F, van Bronswijk JEMH

Objectives This study examined the influence of some organizational and management characteristics on the perception of indoor environment qualities such as thermal comfort and related stress.

Methods One open office in each of three organizations in Eindhoven was studied. An office environment survey, a questionnaire on extended cognitive failure, and a questionnaire on effort–reward imbalance were combined to assess the perceived management attitudes and perceived (dis)comfort of 50 workers in each of two of the offices and of 43 persons in the third. The study included data on perceived and measured thermal comfort and indoor-air quality, self-reported personal factors, and organizational factors (N=46).

Results Perceived thermal comfort correlated with perceived symptoms of the sick building syndrome; it also correlated or was associated with the following three management-related parameters: (i) employees’ stress, (ii) employees’ overcommitment to work, and (iii) employees’ perceived privacy.

Conclusions The managerial characteristics of an organization influences thermal comfort as perceived by employees.