Work and organisational psychology has long shown that individual performance does not depend only on personal skills or motivation. It is also strongly influenced by a set of contextual factors, including the overall climate and the way the working environment functions as a system.
A specific branch of work psychology, environmental psychology, focuses on how physical spaces are designed and organised: furniture, equipment, workstations, circulation areas and the way people interact with them in everyday work.
Research has repeatedly underlined the importance of the “material” and “spatial” components of the workplace in influencing performance. Among the many factors involved, one stands out in particular: the level of comfort that the work environment is able to offer. This includes not only ergonomics and layout, but also lighting, noise levels, temperature and, increasingly, indoor air quality and ventilation.
Organisational health and indoor environment
According to the World Health Organization, health should not be defined simply as the absence of disease, but as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and as a process aimed at improving and maintaining that well-being over time. Translated into organisational terms, this idea leads to the concept of organisational health: the ability of an organisation to be productive while at the same time supporting the psycho-physical well-being of the people who work within it.
In this sense, organisational health is the result of a good balance between the working context (physical environment, tasks, perspectives, goals, management style) and the actual quality of working life perceived by employees.
Among the key indicators used to assess organisational health are:
- physical and environmental characteristics of the workplace;
- recognition and development of people’s skills;
- the level of cooperation and teamwork;
- communication networks and information flow;
- clarity of organisational goals.
These indicators highlight a simple but powerful idea: organisational health and individual health are tightly connected. Taking care of one means taking care of the other.
Why indoor air quality matters for performance
When we consider whether to invest in better workplaces, we often think of furniture, layout or design. But the invisible part of the environment – the air we breathe – can be just as important. In offices, call centres, laboratories and even spray booths or production areas, factors such as CO2 levels, airborne particles, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), temperature and humidity all contribute to how people feel and perform.
Poor indoor air quality can lead to headaches, irritation, reduced concentration and a general feeling of fatigue. Over time, this translates into more errors, slower work and higher absenteeism. Conversely, environments with good air renewal, effective filtration and stable thermal comfort help people stay focused, make fewer mistakes and feel more engaged.
From a technical point of view, three elements play a central role:
- Ventilation: ensuring adequate air changes and fresh air supply for the number of people and the type of activity carried out.
- Filtration: removing dust, fine particles and other airborne pollutants with appropriately selected filters.
- Control: monitoring key parameters (temperature, humidity, CO2, sometimes specific pollutants) and adjusting systems accordingly.
In many modern buildings and industrial environments this is achieved through mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery and dedicated filtration stages. The quality and maintenance of these systems are not only an engineering issue, but also a real organisational health issue.
From cost to investment: a double return
Whether we are talking about a senior executive office, a busy call centre or a paint booth in a production plant, the same question often arises: “Is it really worth investing in improvements to the working environment?”
If we look only at the initial cost, the answer might seem uncertain. But if we see it in terms of investment, the picture changes. Improving the physical and environmental conditions of work – including indoor air quality – means making a double investment:
- an investment in the well-being of individuals, who can work in healthier and more comfortable conditions;
- an investment in organisational performance, because better conditions support higher concentration, fewer errors and more sustainable productivity over time.
In this perspective, the design and maintenance of ventilation and filtration systems are not just technical details, but an integral part of how an organisation takes care of its people and its future.
Sometimes, choosing to improve the “form” of the workplace is exactly what gives more “substance” to results.