In order to find effective movements on an office chair for preventing back pain, the paper measures EMG (electromyogram) signal and evaluates cognitive test. Core muscles of subjects on a balance ...ball are measured when there are forced movement and voluntary movement of the ball. The measurements show the forced movement and discontinuity movement on the ball is more effective in the meaning of muscle activity. The paper also studies the effect of movement with the balance ball on the efficiency of office workers. This is because, even if the movement is good for preventing back pain, it is not desirable to reduce work efficiency. Two cognitive tests, addition test and flanker test, are used to investigate the efficiency of office workers when the movements with the balance ball and no movements with normal chair in the view points of work reduction rate and correct answer rate. The results show the efficiency of office workers is almost the same as the case of movements with the balance ball and no movements with normal chair. Totally the study shows effective movements on the balance ball which activate the core muscle activity efficiently. It also shows the movement does not reduce the office work efficiency.
Interruption at work by social media (SM) is a pervasive phenomenon. This study investigated the impact of SM interruptions and task cognitive levels on mental workload (MWL) and physiological ...indexes. Each subject performed six simulated computer tasks differentiated by two factors: task cognitive level and performing condition. MWL was reflected through three categories of data: perceived mental workload, physiological indexes, and primary task performance. The results revealed significant effects of SM interruptions on heart rate, low-frequency/high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio, and skin conductance. ANOVA results showed there were main effects of task cognitive level on LF/HF and skin conductance. These effects during interrupted tasks were more profound. In addition, participants experienced higher MWL and recorded lower primary task performance in the knowledge-based task than the rule- and skill-based tasks. Our findings can guide managers and employees regarding appropriate use of SM in the workplace and better managing interruption and workload.
Practitioner Summary: Office workers suffer from increased overall mental workload due to unpredictable interruptions while working. This study shows that participants' mental workload increased when receiving SM interruptions, which was more profound during complex tasks. This highlights the importance of SM interruptions management for employees' health, performance, and mobile application developers.
Abbreviations: ANOVA: analysis of variance; DSSQ: dundee stress state questionnaire; ECG: electrocardiographic; EDA: electrodermal activity; EEG: electroencephalographic; HPA: hypothalamus-pituitaryadrenocortical; HR: heart rate; HRV: heart rate variability; LF/HF: low frequency/high frequency; MSDs: musculoskeletal disorders; MWL: mental workload; NN: normal to normal; RMS: root means square; RR: time duration between two successive R peaks; RT: response time; SC: skin conductance; SDNN: standard deviation of normal to normal; SM: social media; TCL: task cognitive level; TPC: task performing condition; WMC: working memory capacity
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The mediation of work practices by information and communication technologies enables knowledge workers to telework from remote non-office locations such as their homes, or to work nomadically from ...multiple locations in a day. This paper uses data from the American Time Use Survey to explore the relationship between daily work locations and travel in the United States from 2003 to 2017. Outcome variables include travel duration and travel during peak periods. Home is by far the most common non-office work location, but working from other people’s homes, cafés/libraries, vehicles, and combinations of multiple locations are also measured. Findings show that working from home only on a day (full-day telework) decreases daily travel duration and increases the likelihood of avoiding peak hour travel for both work and non-work related travel. However, for homeworkers who also conduct work from their workplace on the same day (part-day telework), there is no reduction in daily travel time, and avoiding peak hour travel is limited to work-related travel. Working from other locations such as cafés/libraries or vehicles increases the likelihood of not traveling at peak hours. Findings also indicate that morning peak periods are more affected by work location decisions than evening peak periods. A survival analysis of daily departure times for both full-day and part-day homeworkers provides insight into this mechanism. We conclude on the basis of these findings that demand management policies and peak avoidance incentives would be more effective if they encourage both temporal and spatial flexibility for employees when partnering with regional employers.
Full text
Available for:
CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
There is a scarcity of knowledge regarding the potential benefits of human–nature contact within the context of working life. Even more limited is the research that focuses on working outdoors and ...the setting in which it takes place. This study aimed to obtain insight into key aspects of the physical environment relevant for the experienced benefits and challenges of workers exploring office work outdoors. We conducted interviews with key informants as well as photo registration and mapping of the different green spaces in the environments of six small or medium-sized workplaces. The information gathered was used as background knowledge for exploratory qualitative interviews, which were conducted while walking in natural settings chosen by the interviewees. With a landscape architectural perspective and an inductive approach, we explored employees’ experiences of bringing office work outdoors. The following themes emerged: ‘Simplicity,’ ‘Safeness’, ‘Comfort’, and ‘Contact with Nature’ were experienced as key aspects in relation to the physical environment, whereas ‘Sociality’, ‘Well-being’, and ‘Functioning’ stood out as the main benefits and, ‘Digital dependency’ and ‘Illegitimacy’ as challenges to overcome. Based on the identification of potential benefits and their prerequisites, we propose implications for practice and research that can be useful when focusing on bringing office work outdoors.
Digital interventions are potential tools for reducing and limiting occupational sedentary behaviour (SB) in sedentary desk-based jobs. Given the harmful effects of sitting too much and sitting for ...too long while working, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of workplace interventions, that incorporated digital elements, to reduce the time spent in SB in office workers.
Randomised control trials that evaluated the implementation of workplace interventions that incorporated digital elements for breaking and limiting SB among desk-based jobs were identified by literature searches in six electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PEDro) published up to 2023. Studies were included if total and/or occupational SB were assessed. Only studies that reported pre- and postintervention mean differences and standard deviations or standard errors for both intervention arms were used for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5 (RevMan 5; Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). Risk of bias was assessed using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields QUALSYST tool.
Nineteen studies were included in the systematic review. The most employed digital elements were information delivery and mediated organisational support and social influences. Multicomponent, information, and counselling interventions measuring total and/or occupational/nonoccupational SB time by self-report or via device-based measures were reported. Multicomponent interventions were the most represented. Eleven studies were included in the meta-analysis, which presented a reduction of 29.9 (95% CI: -45.2, -14.5) min/8 h workday in SB (overall effect: Z = 3.81).
Multicomponent interventions, using a wide range of digital features, have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing time spent in SB at the workplace among desk-based employees. However, due to hybrid work (i.e., work in the office and home) being a customary mode of work for many employees, it is important for future studies to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of these interventions in the evolving work landscape.
The review protocol was registered in the Prospero database (CRD42022377366).
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
In order to find effective movements on an office chair for preventing back pain, the paper measures EMG (electromyogram) signal and evaluates cognitive test. Core muscles of subjects on a balance ...ball are measured when there are forced movement and voluntary movement of the ball. The measurements show the forced movement and discontinuity movement on the ball is more effective in the meaning of muscle activity. The paper also studies the effect of movement with the balance ball on the efficiency of office workers. This is because, even if the movement is good for preventing back pain, it is not desirable to reduce work efficiency. Two cognitive tests, addition test and flanker test, are used to investigate the efficiency of office workers when the movements with the balance ball and no movements with normal chair in the view points of work reduction rate and correct answer rate. The results show the efficiency of office workers is almost the same as the case of movements with the balance ball and no movements with normal chair. Totally the study shows effective movements on the balance ball which activate the core muscle activity efficiently. It also shows the movement does not reduce the office work efficiency.
The effects of a sit-stand-walk intervention to reduce musculoskeletal discomfort, attenuate perceived physical and mental fatigue, and increase physical activity without adversely affecting ...productivity was investigated for computer-based work. A between-participants design was used with 80 participants randomly assigned to one of five work conditions (sit-stand, stand-sit, sitting, standing and sit-stand-walk) to perform a 60-min computer-based typing transcription task. Musculoskeletal discomfort, and perceived physical and mental fatigue were reported through surveys; productivity was measured by typing speed and typing errors. For the sit-stand-walk intervention musculoskeletal discomfort was significantly less compared to sitting or standing for the hour; perceived physical fatigue was significantly less compared to standing for the hour. There were no benefits or differences among the work conditions in terms of perceived mental fatigue and productivity. By combining postural variability of sit-stand workstations with intermittent light-intensity physical activity enabled by active breaks, the sit-stand-walk intervention demonstrates a beneficial and viable alternative to sedentary office work.
•Sit-Stand-Walk Intervention:•Combines postural variability with intermittent light-intensity physical activity.•Significantly reduced discomfort compared to Sitting and Standing for the hour.•Significantly reduced perceived physical fatigue compared to Standing for the hour.•Demonstrates a beneficial and viable alternative to sedentary office work.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PDF
