Examining the Effects of Workplace Redesign on Employees’ Productivity: A Mediated-Moderation Model Involving Joy of Work and Control Over Coping with Distractions

Abstract

The search for an optimal workplace design has advanced from the traditional cubicles to the modern open-office work plan. However, prior research has largely ignored the interplay between workplace redesign, coping with distractions and joy of work, as significant influencers of employee’s productivity. Addressing this knowledge gap, the current study relied on the environmental comfort theory to examine the mediating role of joy of work and moderating role of coping with distractions on the relationship between workplace redesign and employee’s productivity. Drawing on data of 210 professionals in the leading commercial banks in Pakistan and use of partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings indicated that joy of work partially mediates workplace redesign and employee’s productivity. Moreover, employees’ coping abilities to overcome workplace distractions significantly enhanced the effects of workplace redesign and joy of work on their productivity. The study suggests that workplace redesign can effectively break down the physical and social walls to enhance productivity, when employees are facilitated to experience joy and overcome distractions at work.