Understanding the psycho-environmental potential functions of a green building to promote employee health, wellbeing and productivity: A theoretical perspective

Abstract

Past research exploring employee health, wellbeing and productivity in green office buildings has yielded mixed results and lacks a theoretical framework to explain these different findings. There is a need to better understand the specific aspects of green buildings that relate to various health, wellbeing, and productivity outcomes. In this paper, the authors demonstrate how the psycho-environmental potential model can be used as a theoretical framework to help explain the mixed impacts of green buildings on individuals. This model assumes that to promote wellbeing, settings should sustain six functions, which fulfill needs for their users: 1) security and shelter, 2) social contact regulation, 3) symbolic identification, 4) task instrumentality, 5) pleasure, and 6) growth. The authors introduce a seventh function, sustainability. Through the examination of past research, green building rating systems, and general building features, the potential for green office buildings to fulfill these seven functions is analyzed. While our review found that green office buildings have - in theory - the potential to fulfill each function, the fulfillment of these functions can vary significantly between individual buildings due to differences in features. The current framework is presented as a tool to examine existing buildings, and aid in the design of new green office buildings. Additionally, this framework can be utilized in future research to systematically examine the relationship between green building features and its occupants, thus, aiding in addressing the mixed findings in regard to the positive impacts of green buildings on health, wellbeing, and productivity.