The Relationship of Green Office Buildings to Occupant Productivity and Organizational Performance: A Literature Review

The purpose of this paper is to identify and critically evaluate previous research that examines the link between green office buildings and the productivity of commercial building occupants. The overarching approach is to highlight and critique the key findings from a variety of researchers that attempt to find links specifically between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and individual productivity. This is done to develop a theoretical model that links green building features and initiatives (GBFIs) in office buildings to individual productivity and organizational performance. This paper first provides a background of the emergence of green buildings, specifically with regards to utility costs, which led to changes in design and hence to the indoor environment. The core focus of this study is to provide a literature review of the research that attempts to link GBFIs to productivity. Various studies focus on a single or multiple components of GBFIs within different settings, such as controlled laboratory settings, field studies, or longitudinal studies. Other studies choose to focus on occupant health, comfort, and organizational outcomes in relation to GBFIs. The present study attempts to consolidate this area of research by presenting the studies and their findings thus far to develop a new theoretical model. The proposed model links GBFIs to increased individual productivity and organizational performance which results in increased building value, thus justifying the initial capital expenditure for the implementation of GBFIs.