In the recent decades, technological innovations and IT developments have been hailed as the key influence on changing work-styles. Coupled by the accelerated rate of change, these technological advances have altered the way people perceive work and measure productivity. At the same time, the digital era that we are experiencing has changed "the expectations that the public has for government services." (Digital Government) Consequently, more research has been directed to explore the ways by which corporations can increase productivity while manipulating economic and technological resources. Little attention has been paid to the relationship between the workspace, the psychology of workers and rate of productivity. Hence, this paper argues that although economic constraints play an important role, yet space planning can have a greater impact on productivity. The paper adopts the concept that the workplace is being shaped more and more by people and their needs. The case of the National Postal Organization (NPO) space planning and renovation is discussed to provide the background and details of how space alterations can have a profound impact on productivity. The findings suggest that it is possible to identify aspects of overall workplace planning and design that reduce costs and increase flexibility while enhancing organizational effectiveness, and increasing productivity. |
