Workspace Utilisation Indicators that Influence Users Performance within Workspaces of Government Office Buildings in Lagos, Nigeria.

Abstract

Space utilisation is a phenomenon under space management used in evaluating space performance in buildings, office buildings in the context of this paper. Office space utilisation refers to how many individuals occupy a specific space in an office building. Measuring space utilization is done to determine how the office space is currently being used and how it might be used in the future, to sustain existing facilities and help office users and office owners in managing building space as part of the space management process. The workspace has however over the years experienced changes that have affected the way work is carried out within the workspaces as well as the office as a whole. As these changes occur, job description changes, and the users of the spaces keep increasing, there is a need for an examination into workspace utilisation, to improve user’s performance as well as flexibility in office buildings. This paper aims to examine workspace utilisation indicators that influence the performance of workers within the workspaces of government offices in Lagos. Therefore, the quantitative method approach was considered for data collection, hence data collected was quantitative. Consequently, a total number of 322 respondents were surveyed from 105 offices found in six office buildings through random sampling using questionnaires to evaluate utilisation indicators that influence work performance within the workspace. When analyzing the data obtained from respondents, inferential statistics were used to gain empirical evidence. This led to the generation of four indicators namely; workspace design, employee engagement, collaborative capabilities, and organisational components. The study concludes by generating a statistically significant relationship between the four important utilisation indicators. This is expected to guide Architects, planners, and developers in proposing a workspace that is effective, sustainable, and geared toward the work performance of office users.