Exploring the relationship between indoor air and productivity

A lot of prior research has been done on the relationship between indoor environments and productivity, as well as on the measurement of the productivity impact of various improvement actions concerning indoor environments. Experience has shown that these studies are difficult to perform in practice. This paper identifies the pitfalls of designing such studies by examining several research projects. The methodological challenges include obtaining valid measurement data and taking into account the productivity impact of different components of indoor environments and other business factors, for example. As conclusions, solutions—such as choosing case organizations carefully and applying indirect productivity measures—are proposed to overcome the problems.

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