Ch.

6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

CHAPTER 6
FINDINGS, DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS AND
CONCLUSIONS

6.1 Overview
In this chapter, the research findings, implications, contributions and
conclusions of the present study are listed. The research findings are discussed in
two parts.
The first part is based on the data gathered form the questionnaire with
‘Multiple Choice’ questions. Employee’s preferences regarding Colour, Lighting
and Form have been collected in this part. The second part deals with the findings
of the study, derived from second questionnaire with Likert Scale type questions.
Respondent’s opinion regarding ‘Psychology of Architecture with respect to
Productivity’ have been asked in three sections; Psychology questions,
Architecture Questions and Productivity Questions.
The implications drawn from the study have also been presented in this
chapter. Finally, the implications made by this research and the conclusions have
been highlighted.

6.2 Research Findings

The findings of this research are classified into two main categories:
Findings from the questionnaire with ‘Multiple Choice’ questions
Findings from the questionnaire with Likert Scale type questions
6.2.1 Findings from questionnaire with ‘Multiple Choice’ questions
The first two parts of the questionnaire was dedicated to demographic data
and Personality type identification, which have been discussed in chapter 5. The
third part is concerned with employee’s preferences in terms of Colour, Lighting
and Form. Totally the findings from the first questionnaire contributed with four
objectives;
Objective no.1; to identify the employees’ Personality types according to
Myers- Briggs theory in the sample group.
Among all the 16 types of Personality, defined by Myers- Briggs theory, 13
types were found in the data collected for this survey. The research is considering

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 148

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

the Personality types, in the bigger community as Personality Groups. Each

Personality type makes one group and totally these 16 types can be categorized in
four groups;
1. DFT Group; ISFP, INFP, ESFJ, ENFJ
2. DIT Group; INFJ, INTJ, ENFP, ENTP
3. DST Group; ISFJ, ISTJ, ESFP, ESTP
4. DTT Group; ISTP, INTP, ESTJ, ENTJ
The selection of the ‘Personality groups’ over the ‘Personality types’ in the
study, is based on the Personality types’ distribution in the sample. All the types
are not available in every sample and sometimes they would be identified with
population of less than 10 (out of 302). This population won’t be reliable for
generalization and does not give strong evidence for the design model. An
increased sample size increases the representativeness of samples and makes
generalization safer (Watt, 1995).
Objective no.3; To identify the qualitative and quantitative factors involved
in office Productivity.
The questionnaire concerned with the qualitative and quantitative factors of
the office work involved with Productivity. As discussed in chapter 5, there are
some qualitative factors in any work area, which are relevant to the building layout.
This study focuses on architectural features of the office interior in case of Colour,
Lighting and Form of the furniture.
The respondents declared architectural elements have an impact on the
quality of their job. Working in pleasant environment, furnished by respondent’s
favourite combination of Colour, Lighting and Form will increase the level of
satisfaction and improve the Productivity.
The last part of the questionnaire inquired working hours of the office and
amount of breaking time of the employees. According to Golden (2011) the number
and duration of office break times would have an impact on the employee's
Productivity and emotional and physical exhaustion. An organization can therefore
reduce the time taken to accomplish a task through physiological approach;
minimized hours that enhance the speed of work, and elimination of unwanted
break intervals or participation in personal activities during the working time
period.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 149

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Objective no.4; To determine the association between architectural elements

(Colour, lighting and form) and employee’s Personality to enhance Productivity.
The present study attempts to identify the significance of relationship
between “the physical aspect of interior spaces” to achieve maximum comfort in
“psychological state of the employees”. Physical aspects refer to architectural
elements, and the psychological perceptions refer to the mental state of being. By
establishing a relationship between these two variables the design process would
be more effective as the preferences of the clients will be known to the designers
well in advance.
The findings derived from the survey indicated that there is an association
between Personality types and the respondent’s preferences in case of Colour,
Lighting and Form. As discussed earlier this study focused on Personality groups
over Personality types and each groups have their own preferences and wishes
regarding these elements (Figure 6-1). These findings confirmed the relation
between architectural elements and the Personality groups in creating a pleasant
feeling for the receiver at the interior space of an Architects’ office building, which
helped to improve Productivity, besides confirming the important role of Colour,
Lighting and Form in these spaces.

Figure 6-1; Different Personality groups would have different preferences of

Colour, Lighting and Forms

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 150

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Architecture might have a real positive impact on occupants and users'

Psychology in daily life, but it would have various definitions in accordance with
the social and ethical principles of the local community. Furthermore, Colour,
Lighting and Form are rich elements of design that must be recognized in an entire
situation.
Design of interior spaces needs to be made with great attention to the
components such as Colour, light and Furniture to create the appropriate
psychological and emotional conditions in connection to physical situations, based
on the personal needs of the workers inside these environments. Office exercises
are a reaction to psychological motives (interest, pleasure, and passion) in the
direction of the well-designed space in the Architects’ office interior space.
Objective no.5; to develop a design model with respect to architectural
elements (Colour, Lighting and Form) and employee’s Personality to enhance
Productivity.
For each Personality group there are different combination of Colour,
Lighting and Form in the Architects’ office interior. Figure 6-2 shows the overall
result for DFT group, for all three architectural elements, also their opinion about
Productivity parameters.

Figure 6-2: The design model for DFT group with respect to architectural elements and
Productivity

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 151

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The first part of this model deals with the Colour context in the office
environment. Blue is the most favourite Colour for this group. Green and Blue have
calm effects on the environment, but applying too much of these two might reduce
the Productivity of the employees. Incorporating a little volume of orange, red or
yellow in this environment would improve the energy circulation and increase
Productivity. (Naess, 1996).
Light Colour schemes are more preferred for this group, which is the result
of adding white to the Colour’s hue. Hue is the basic name of the Colour, Red,
Yellow and Blue are primary hues. Adding white will create a tint making the
Colours lighter and more airy like pastels. Adding black will make Colours dull
and muted (Figure 6-3). Anyway, design with Colours depends on the relative
lightness and intensity of the hues.

Figure 6-3: Colour wheel of tint and shade Colours

(Source; www.bathroomandmore.com )

White is the most favourite neutral Colour for DFT group, thus combination
of blue and white may help to create the pleasant environment for this group (Figure
6-4). According to Alnasser (2013) using of neutral Colours, especially the white
Colour to a great extent inside spaces with Colours of the warm family create a
kind of activity and excitement in these spaces.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 152

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-4: Blue–white theme for individual workstation

Also they would prefer to work in any environment Coloured by warm and
cool Colours. As discussed earlier too much warm Colours for work environment
have negative impacts on Productivity (Figure 6-5). Colour also can be used to
achieve certain emotional aims by using certain Colour patterns, especially when
the favourite Colour is known. Proper application of Colour context in the work
environment would create an atmosphere of attraction and excitement and reduce
fatigue during work hours.

Figure 6-5: Combination of warm and cool Colours in office interior

The second part of the model belonged to the preferences regarding Lighting
condition. Lighting and Colour are complementary elements of office interior
spaces. Natural lighting was widely used and also is the best option for any work
area, but artificial lighting is essential for modern buildings to achieve practical or
aesthetic effects. This study focuses on artificial lighting because it has many
unique benefits for the office interior:
1. Light can be available even outside of daylight hours.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 153

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

2. Light can be provided even for areas far from the building openness.
3. The quantity and distribution of light source can be modified; e.g. task
lighting and general ambient lighting
4. The quality of light is stable in output during the day, unlike daylight.
Lighting under proper design, would improve the employee’s effectiveness,
enhance the overall look of the workplace and possibly have psychological
influences. In this research Lighting is categorized by expected usage as ambient
and task lighting based mainly upon the distribution generated from the light
fixture.
The occupants prefer ambient lighting with personal control over other
options. As reported by Herman Miller (2007) Personal control is a significant issue
in workplace due to the fact that a fixed light source won't be able to satisfy
occupants. Workers who experienced poor lighting in the work environment, far
from their desired level perform considerably less Productivity and efficiency.
Individuals with control over the quantity and distribution of light, continually
express higher satisfaction regarding their workplace.
Personal control of light source also helps to control quantity and quality of
source of light (in case of direction and distribution) and also restricts glare and
shade. To achieve this objective, light sources fixtures should be operated and
controlled by occupancy sensors. There are some companies producing control
systems which are able to manage the lights to only function when required and
enables the occupant control of lights via their desktop workstation and smart
phones.

Figure 6-6: Remote controller for personal control of light in work area
(Source; www.ercshowcase.com)

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 154

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Respondents also chose white Colour for light source over the blue and
yellow Colours. Colour effect of light depends on the Colour temperature obtained
from the source (chapter 1).
Different area of offices requires distinct Colour of light matched with the
type of the activity. For the working area the employees chose white light because
they perceived ambiance as being brighter and clearer. The white light also is closer
to natural vision, which increases the feeling of comfort. Easier recognition of items
on their desk is another benefit of working under white light. Besides the Colour of
light, the reflectance value of the surface should be considered as an important
factor which causes glare in workstation and creates eye strain.
The third part of the model is dealing with factors relevant to the design of
the furniture. DFT group respondents prefer workstation with only ‘necessary
equipment’, without unessential items which can create a messy desk and prevent
concentration during the work hours. They also prefer ‘horizontal lines’ in their
environment more than the others and select rectangular form for their workstation.
‘Bookcase’ seems to be the most important furniture for this group and they like to
work on desk which framed in ‘single pieces’. In the scope of Colour, they tend to
see their work furniture as ‘mono Colour’. Figures 6-7 and 6-8 shows the
recommended desk for DFT group which is rectangular with dominant horizontal
lines, contains bookcase and is in mono Colour and single piece. The study found
that employees’ Productivity in these workstation is the highest.

Figure 6-7; Proposed desk for DFT group with dominant Horizontal lines

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 155

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-8; Recommended desk for DFT group, single piece, mono Colour and
rectangular

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 156

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The fourth part of the model is concerned with the Productivity issues in the
Architects’ office interior. DFT group declare ‘unpleasant working condition’ is
the main reason for incomplete duties. This result demonstrates that physical
environment is an important factor for this group. They are working on their desk
with a strong visual and non-visual interaction with their surroundings. Then any
proper modification in their physical environment would have a positive impact on
the quantitative output of their job.
DFT group respondents highlighted ‘Lighting’ as the most important element
–among Colour and Form- in their environment. The study recommended the
ambient lighting in white Colour with possibility of personal control from
individual workstation. Attention was needed to be paid to the elimination of visual
discomfort and to the formation of shadows in the space. According to Edirisinghe
(2012) the reasons of visual discomfort would be; the absence of adequate light or
presence of extra light, improper distribution of light, extremely homogeneous
lighting, also surfaces reflections and sparkle from light options.
In the last part of the model, the respondents identified ‘furniture form’ as the
factors which have the highest impact on Productivity improvement. The study
along with the design guidelines, brought forward the new generation of a desk,
matched with DFT group preferences and hypothesized that working in new
condition will enhance the level of Productivity for this cluster.

Figure 6-9: The design model for DIT group with respect to architectural elements and
Productivity

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 157

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

There is also a design model, for DIT group created according to their
preferences regarding research variables. Figure 6-9 shows the overall result for
DIT group with respect to Colour, Lighting, Form of the furniture and Productivity.
In the scope of Colour, the employees remarked ‘blue’ as the most favourite
Colour and they dislike ‘pink’ more than others. The Colours applied in this part
are a set of 11 basic Colour words, red, yellow, green, blue, orange, purple, pink,
brown, grey, black and white (Berlin and Kay, 1969).
Respondents selected ‘light Colour scheme’ for their work environment and
they had strong agreement on ‘white’ as their favourite neutral Colour. They also
prefer to work in spaces Coloured by ‘combination of warm and cool’ Colours.
About the Lighting condition, employees emphasized on ‘ambient lighting’
in ‘white’ Colour, which has the privilege of personal control on their sitting
position. Personal control combines all the equipment necessary for starting and
operating a light source, apart from the desk area. So, employees can change the
illumination, direction and distribution of Lighting during the daytime and working
hours.
In the third part of the model, the respondents answer to questions regarding
Form of the furniture. They agreed that workplace with only ‘necessary equipment’
would be more appropriate and less messy, especially for the Architects’ office
environment, which required concentration to export the high-quality output. They
liked ‘horizontal lines’ more than vertical and diagonal, and also highlighted
‘rectangular forms’ over the curvilinear. They preferred to have their work furniture
in the single piece combined with different underframes, to be always around and
to have an easy access. In any design of work furniture ergonomics should be
considered, since it contributes both to the quality of the work for the employees
and finally to the progress of the organization.
Unlike DFT group, DIT had a strong agreement on ‘desk’ as the most
important part of furniture in their individual workstation, and they wanted it
Coloured by ‘dimension of cool Colours’. There are basically two categories of
Colour which can fit into warm and cool and are shown in Figure 6-10.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 158

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-10: Cool and warm Colours on Colour wheel

The study recommends a desk, suits to the preferences of DIT group as

shown in figure 6-11 and 6-12. This desk is rectangular with dominant horizontal
lines, in a single piece and Coloured by dimension of cool Colours (blue and green
Colours are first and second priority of respondents).

Figure 6-11: Proposed work station for DIT group with dominant horizontal lines

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 159

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-12; Recommended desk for DIT group, suits to their preferences

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 160

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The fourth part of DIT model is concerned with the Productivity parameter
in the office interior. ‘Unpleasant working condition’ has the negative impact on
Productivity of this group, they remarked that as a reason beyond incompletion of
their assignment.
the respondents in this group highlighted ‘Lighting’ as the most effective
elements –among Colour and Form-, and they believe that improve the level of
Lighting can have positive impacts on Productivity. By enhancing the quality of
light, the time required to perform a specific task may decrease. Changes in quality
are due to improved Colour rendering as well as illumination level and direction of
distribution in an individual workstation.

Figure 6-13: The design model for DST group with respect to architectural elements and
Productivity

Figure 6-13 shows the overall result of study, regarding preferences of

employees in DST group, which have been categorized in four groups of Colour,
Lighting, Form of the furniture and Productivity.
According to this model, in the scope of Colour, respondents like ‘blue’ more
than other Colours and also dislike ‘yellow’ in their work environment, then
amounts of this Colour in their work are should be minimum to eliminate the
negative effects on employee’s mood and feelings.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 161

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The respondents in the DST group, followed the DFT and DIT groups in case
of Colour scheme and neutral Colours preferences, they pick out ‘white’ among
black and grey, as their favourite neutral or achromatic Colour, means literally a
Colour "without Colour". They also have a strong agreement on ‘light Colour
scheme’ over the bright, dull and dark. The respondents would prefer to work in
spaces Coloured with combination of warm and cool Colours, single Colour for
this group might be boring or depressing.
About Lighting preferences, the DST group selected ‘ambient lighting with
personal control’, when the light source was producing ‘white’ light with the
temperature of 4000K to 6500K.
In the section of Form preferences, the employees indicated their opinion
regarding Form of the furniture in their individual workstation. They had an
agreement on ‘workplace with only necessary equipment’, provided for their use at
work. The work equipment in Architects’ offices includes all the accessories
relevant to drawing, modifying, presenting, and communicating and also deals with
the computer equipment.
Respondents remarked ‘horizontal lines’ over the vertical and diagonal line,
as their favourite in workstation. They also preferred rectangular form as they allow
a user to sit symmetrically to their desk, avoiding twisting the torso. Among chair,
desk and bookcase design, DST group was interested in the ‘chair’ more than the
others. This group seemed to be more concerned about comfort and body posture
behind the desk. All the details relevant to chair designs are coming through the
standards and ergonomic policies. They also preferred to have their work furniture
in a single piece. And about Colour of work furniture they would like to see all in
different shades of one single Colour. Figure 6-14 and 6-15 shows the
recommended workstation for DST group, as per their preferences regarding work
furniture.

Figure 6-14: Proposed work station for DST group with dominant horizontal lines

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 162

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-15; Recommended desk for DST group, suits to their preferences

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 163

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The last part of the model is dedicated to questions regarding Productivity

and concerns with the employees’ opinion about the connection of Architecture and
Productivity. In this part the respondent’s preferences were asked about the most
important elements in the office interior. DST group highlighted Form of the
furniture as the most effective element in the work area, and they believed
improving the furniture form would lead to higher Productivity. In connection to
this they have strong agreement that ‘unpleasant working condition’ is the reason
of incompletion of their assignment.
The last model belonged to the DTT group, which also is the most populated
one. The Figure 6-16 shows the overall result of the survey for the DTT group,
concerned their opinion regarding Colour, Lighting, Form of the furniture and
Productivity.

Figure 6-16: The design model for DTT group with respect to architectural elements and
Productivity

The first part of the model is concerned with the people’s perceptions and
subjective impressions about the Colour contents in their surrounding environment
in the Architects’ offices interior. The respondents of the DTT group agreed with
the other attendees of DFT, DIT and DST group in case of most preferred Colour.
Most of the employees in the survey selected ‘blue’ as the most favourite Colour,
and they would like to live their work-life in an environment Coloured by

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 164

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

dimension of blue Colour. ‘Brown’ is the least favourite Colour for this category
and it has to be minimum in their work space.
The DTT respondents preferred ‘white’ Colour in the section of neutral
Colours and they like to work in an environment which painted by the combination
of warm -red, yellow, orange- and cool Colours- green, blue and violet-. ‘Light
Colour scheme’ was the favourite Colour scheme for this group, among survey’s
options.
In individual station of the employees in the Architects’ office, ‘Ambient
lighting’ was preferred more by the occupants, especially with the advantage of
personal control. It gave occupants the ability to control their own light level and
distribution through work hours. ‘White’ Colour of light was also more preferred
by the respondents in comparison with yellow and blue.
The Form of the furniture was one of the important issues which the designer
should keep in mind during the design process. This part of model dealing with the
employee’s preferences regarding general features of Form, including Colour,
integration and overall shape.
The DTT respondents highlighted ‘workplace with only necessary
equipment’ over the ‘Crowded and full of objects’. This selection would rely on the
importance of concentration in the Architects’ offices. They also believed that the
‘desk’ is more important than chair and bookcase, and about the Colour of these
furniture they would prefer dimension of cool Colours for their individual
workstation. The DTT respondents preferred integrated (single pieces) furniture in
the rectangular form, which is more familiar, safe, and comfortable. Figures 6-17
and 6-18 shows the recommended desk for DTT group, which is rectangular, single
piece and Coloured by white and blue, which are first and second priority of this
particular group.

Figure 6-17: Proposed work station for DTT group with dominant horizontal lines

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 165

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Figure 6-18; Recommended desk for the DTT group, suits to their preferences

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 166

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

6.2.1.1 Summary of findings from the questionnaire with ‘Multiple Choice’

questions
The nature of this study was concerned with the quality of Architects’ office
interior which finally leads to increase the Productivity in this particular office.
Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture are three important parameters in work
environment, and proper application of these items would improve the quality of
any living space.
This study in the first part, collected the respondent’s preferences in Colour,
Lighting and Form of the furniture to replace their work environment with their
favourite combination of these elements. With the analysis made for the Personality
groups, four new generation of work stations were designed to suit employee’s
preferences in the Architects’ offices. It can be said that the interior Architecture
can be used to realize certain emotional aims by using certain designs that create
an atmosphere of attraction and excitement inside office spaces, by creating an
exciting aesthetical space for employees which enhances office Productivity.

6.2.2 Findings from the questionnaire with ‘Likert Scale’ questions

The second questionnaire applied to the research, consisted of five parts,
focusing on the employee’s opinion about three domains of research- Psychology,
Architecture and Productivity-, for the benefit of statistical analysis of the study.
The first part was concerned with the demographic data, collected form 202
employees, occupied in the Architects’ office, which was discussed in chapter 5.
Table 6-1 shows the entire findings of the survey for 302 attendees, respondents of
both the questionnaire.
Table 6-1: Findings on demographic data for 302 respondents

Nationality Iranian 157 (52%)

Indian 145 (48%)
Gender Female 175 (58%)
Male 127 (42%)
Age Group <25 111 (37%)
25-34 146 (48%)
35-45 31 (10%)
>45 14 (5%)

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 167

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Education Profile Diploma 19 (6%)

UG 162 (54%)
PG 96 (32%)
Professional 20 (7%)
Other 5 (1%)

Statistical findings from the table 6-1, indicates that there is a fair distribution
of respondents in case of nationality and gender. However the findings
demonstrated that most of the employees in the Architects’ office are between 25-
35 years old and have UG certificate in Architecture.
The findings from this questionnaire contributed with four objectives;
1. To identify the employees’ Personality types according to Briggs Myers
theory in the sample group.
2. To identify the influence of architectural elements (Colour, Lighting and
Form) in spaces on psychological aspects of the human mind.
3. To identify the qualitative and quantitative factors involved in the office
Productivity.
4. To determine the association between architectural elements (Colour,
Lighting and Form) and the employee’s Personality to enhance
Productivity.
The second part of the questionnaire was concerned with the Personality
types’ identification with standard questions of Myers-Briggs scale. Table 6-2
shows the overall findings for 302 respondents of the survey, in both the pilot study
and the final sample.
Table 6-2: Distribution of Personality types (N=302)

Pilot Study Final Sample Total

Sample
Likert Multiple Likert Multiple
Personality Scale choice Scale choice Types Groups
Groups
ISFP - 2 1 3 6
INFP 2 - 8 2 12
DFT ESFJ 1 2 7 9 19 68
ENFJ 3 2 20 6 31
ISTP 3 - 8 2 13
INTP 1 - 7 - 8
DTT ESTJ 6 22 48 29 105 175

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 168

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

ENTJ 2 10 25 12 49
ESFP 2 - 7 3 12
ESTP - - 7 - 7
DST ISFJ 2 - 7 5 14 96
ISTJ 6 10 26 23 65
ENFP 1 2 7 5 15
ENTP - - 11 1 12
DIT INFJ 1 2 4 2 9 47
INTJ 2 - 9 - 11
Total
33 52 202 100 302

This table contains the distribution of survey population in four samples,

collected for this research including the pilot study. In all four samples, ESTJ is
more frequent in the population, then it would result that this type is the most
populated Personality type in the architects group. The rarest Personality Types are
ISFP, followed by ESTP and INTP (Figure 6-19).

DFT
200
150
100
50
DIT 0 DTT

DST

Figure 6-19: Frequency of Personality types in sample population (N=302)

DTT is the dominant Personality group in all four samples, thus we would
consider it as the most populated Personality group among architects in Iran and
India. .

Figure 6-20: Frequency of Personality groups in sample population (N=302)

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 169

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The explanation and identification of the 16 exclusive Personality types and

four groups, is the consequence of combination and interactions between the
preferences. There are eight preferences or indicators in MBTI, which are indicated
in table 6-3 and figure 6-21.
Table 6-3: Distribution of indicators in survey population (N=302)

Indicators E I S N T F J P
Samples

Likert 15 17 22 10 20 12 23 9
Pilot Scale
Study
Multiple 38 14 36 16 42 10 48 4
Choice
Likert 132 70 111 91 141 61 146 56
Final Scale
Sample
Multiple 65 35 72 28 65 35 84 16
Choice
Total 250 136 241 145 268 118 301 85

E
350
300
P 250 I
200
150
100
50
J 0 S

F N

Figure 6-21: Frequency of indicators in the survey (N=302)

According to the table and chart, four indicators are most populated; E, S, T, J.
each one has a specific meaning;
 Extraverts emphasis much more on people and objects in the outer world,
 Sensing dominant personalities choose to experience events via five senses
 Thinking group apply logic to decide about the world's phenomena

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 170

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

 Every person Judges and interprets as regards people who are judging most
of the time are considered as far more systematic and benefit-oriented.
The last three parts of this questionnaire were dedicated to three major
domains of the study; Psychology, Architecture and Productivity, seeking the
relationship, reliability or consistency of research variables in the form of Likert 5-
point scale questions.
The Smart-PLS was applied in this part to quantitative analyses of collected
data and test hypothesized relationships. A number of researchers like Chin (1998a,
1998b, 2010), Gefen et al. (2000), Straub et al. (2004), Hair et al. (2011), Hulland
(1999), Hair et al. (2012), Henseler et al. (2009), Urbach and Ahlemann (2010)
have used PLS-SEM approach for a variety of research areas such as Strategic
Management, Marketing, IS success models. The present study chose PLS-SEM
approach for estimating complex relationship among latent variables introduced in
research model (chapter 3).
6.2.2.1 Hypothesis Testing
The data from the participants’ survey responses were analysed to test the
three main hypotheses and 24 research sub-hypotheses. All three main hypotheses
of the study are supported, tested through regression analysis.
Table 6-4: the result of hypotheses testing
Findings of
Hypotheses Hypotheses
Testing*
Ha: Personality Type has a significant influence on the Supported
Productivity.
Hb: Personality Type has a significant influence on the Office Supported
Interior Design.
Hc: Office Interior Design has a significant influence on the Supported
Productivity.
*
All the above results have been shown in chapter 5(Table 5-51).

This questionnaire also answered the research questions posed in chapter 1

(Qn. No. 1 and 2). Table 6-5 summarizes the findings of the hypotheses tested based
on the research questions asked.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 171

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Table 6-5: Research Questions and Findings – Hypotheses tested

Findings of
Sub-Hypotheses Hypotheses
Testing*
H1: DFT-Personality type has a significant influence on color Supported
selection in the interior design.
H2: DFT-Personality type has a significant influence on Supported
lighting selection in the interior design.
H3: DFT-Personality type has a significant influence on form Supported
selection in the interior design.
H4: DIT-Personality type has a significant influence on color Supported
selection in the interior design.
H5: DIT-Personality type has a significant influence on Supported
lighting selection in the interior design.
H6: DIT-Personality type has a significant influence on form Supported
selection in the interior design.
H7: DST-Personality type has a significant influence on color Supported
selection in the interior design.
H8: DST-Personality type has a significant influence on Supported
lighting selection in the interior design.
H9: DST-Personality type has a significant influence on form Supported
selection in the interior design.
H10: DTT-Personality type has a significant influence on Supported
color selection in the interior design.
H11: DTT-Personality type has a significant influence on Supported
lighting selection in the interior design.
H12: DTT-Personality type has a significant influence on form Supported
selection in the interior design.
H13: Color selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DFT group.
H14: Lighting selection in the interior design has a significant Rejected
influence on Productivity of DFT group.
H15: Form selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DFT group.
H16: Color selection in the interior design has a significant Rejected
influence on Productivity of DIT group.
H17: Lighting selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DIT group.
H18: Form selection in the interior design has a significant Rejected
influence on Productivity of DIT group.
H19: Color selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DST group.
H20: Lighting selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DST group.
H21: Form selection in the interior design has a significant Rejected
influence on Productivity of DST group.
H22: Color selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DTT group.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 172

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

H23: Lighting selection in the interior design has a significant Rejected

influence on Productivity of DTT group.
H24: Form selection in the interior design has a significant Supported
influence on Productivity of DTT group.
*
All the above results have been shown in chapter 5(Table 5-43).

6.2.2.2 Summary of findings from questionnaire with ‘Likert Scale Type’

questions
The second questionnaire administered the universal method for survey
collection, Likert scale type questions. The responses are quantifiable, objective
and can be subjective to mathematical analysis, particularly testing the hypotheses.
The empirical examination included using the PLS-SEM approach to develop and
validate the structural model. The evaluation of the model was performed using
SmartPLS® software, and the results indicated a valid measurement model with
validity and reliability criteria met successfully. The result supported all three main
hypotheses of the study, also 19 out of the 24 sub-hypotheses proposed in this study
were found to be supported.
According to collected data through the survey, Personality types have the
significant influence on employee’s preferences regarding Colour, Lighting and
Form in the Architects’ office interior, but the influence of architectural domain on
Productivity would differ for different Personality types.

6.3 Discussion
Design of the office interior required an understanding of the nature of work
and awareness about the users. Deciding upon the office type and style would be a
critical issue for design, because different offices need different worker and type of
work demands the variety of skills and equipment. The Architects’ offices are
organizations for activities relevant to planning, designing, and drawing and
continues until the project is built and ready for use.
As reported by Vischer (1996) and Sundstorm (986) combination of the
environmental features, which are thermal comfort, air conditioning, convenience
in case of physical setting and Lighting quality, personal privacy and acoustic
would be mentioned as significant factors to realize how offices physical layout
and interior design features are associated with employee's behaviours and
efficiency in the office interior.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 173

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

The design of office should be responsible to the users need and task
requirements. Working in the Architects’ office required innovation and creativity
to produce high quality, useful and original output. To carry out these kinds of
assignments, the environment must meet the mental and physical comfort and
pleasure of the users. Furthermore, to improve the final result or Productivity of an
organization, ‘high quality input’ is demanded to acquire the ‘high quality output’.
The present study focuses on design of individual workstation in case of
Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture to improve the Productivity in the
Architects’ offices. The design of workplace is important because in routine
individual works, employees sit for a long period of time in a simple work station.
Individual work in Architects’ offices needs more privacy and concentration, thus
along with the physical requirements like ergonomic, psychological needs like
beauty, peace and joy should be considered during work hours.
Design of work environment should consider the user’s psychological needs,
because employees would prefer a workplace that answers their individual
expectations such as privacy and comfort. Mostly, work environments force
employees to spend energy to adapt themselves with the workplace physical and
psychological condition, because they are impersonal. The present study is
considering the employee’s Personality types in Architects’ office, to create the
work environment as per the user’s preferences and choices regarding architectural
variables of the research. The result of the research indicates that design of work
space based on employee’s opinion, wishes and preferences would have positive
impacts on their psychological states (objective 2) and organization Productivity
(Hc).
In the present study, the appraisals of the office environment in both aspects
of physical and psychological, were conducted in three sections; the first part deal
with respondents Personality types and determined the dominant Personality type
and find out the frequency of each type in the Architects’ offices. According to
different psychological characteristics of each type, the environment can be
designed to suit the dominant user’s preferences, which will be more efficient in
terms of cost and quality.
The second part of the study deal with the architectural domain, especially
three elements of design; Colour, Lighting and Form, to find out the respondent’s

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 174

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

preferences. The findings of this part help to establish a linkage between

Personality types and these three elements, to construct the architectural design
models. The third part of the study, evaluated the existing working environment of
the employees in case of Colour, Lighting and Form, and collected their opinion
regarding importance and improvement of their current condition in the offices.
In fact, this research was trying to personalize the individual workstation in
the Architects’ office, by designing the three elements of Colour, Lighting and
Form of the furniture according to their preferences. Personalization would create
a sense of belonging for the employees and increase the level of satisfaction and
enjoyment during the work time.
The effects of Colour scheme, Lighting and Form of the furniture on the
employee’s perception and their preferences in the Architects’ office environment
were studied in the study. The concepts and features of these three variables in the
office environment were examined in the literature in terms of their physical and
psychological influences on the subjective impressions and Productivity of the
occupants.
In the scope of Architecture, the employees highlighted a few Colours as most
preferred and least favourite for their work area, so their demands had been
implemented in design of workstation and surroundings. They had also some
preferences regarding Lighting condition, about the distribution of light and Colour
temperature which should be considered and applied according to standards and
policies.
The Architects’ individual workplace may be used for a complex set of tasks
and can be shared and occupied irregularly, therefore the design of their work plate
should provide enough space for multi users and tasks. Group work and interaction
in the Architects’ society is unavoidable, then mostly their workstation is occupied
by colleagues and clients. Normally each employee in the office has an individual
desk as his/her own desk but additional spaces can be used for team work or even
for sharing the equipment, then size of the desk or work plate area is an important
design issue in the Architects’ offices.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 175

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

6.4 Implications
Due to the empirical study in the field of Psychology of Architecture, the
following implications may be drawn for architects, psychologist and researchers
which are working on Productivity improvement. Maybe the most direct
implications are those gotten from a logical interpretation of the study’s findings.
1- The Architects’ office is a place for thinking, creating, and developing
designing concepts relevant to Architectural design. In this scenario, creativity has
a great role to play, to exchange the concepts to plans. As per literary works, the
office spaces would have effects on occupant’s feelings and inspiration, so the
physical layout of workplace would have effects on employee’s creativity and
innovativeness. Designer must be aware about features of the individual
workstation and overall layout of work area, in case of visual and psychological
convenience.
2- Personality type as a psychological factor, is an important parameter in
architectural design project, especially interior design. Any living places dealing
with occupants, so their needs and characteristics should be considered, to expand
the fulfilment and pleasure in the spaces. Being aware about occupant’s mental
requirement, would help to improve the quality of physical layout of environment.
In this case Designer manipulate the components of space, to suit user’s
preferences, inclinations and wishes. Working in the pleasant
environment impacting the ability and efficiency of employees. This would lead to
produce a great job and improve the Productivity of any organization.
3- Architectural condition of Architects’ office is important, because people
who will work in this place, fully understand about the design and architectural
elements, and are aware about weakness and strength of space design. In this
connection the present study concerned with adjustment of design elements
particularly variables of study. Combination of Colour, Lighting and Form can
move thinking, change actions, and cause responses, because of visual and
psychological influences on employee’s minds and emotions. The study introduced
new combination of Colour, Lighting and Form in office interior with respect to
Personality types to achieve advanced stage of Productivity. The study advice
designer to avoid any blind designing and make a connection between residents and
design elements to increase the level of satisfaction, pleasure and efficiency.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 176

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

4- This research intends to personalize the office interior, in case of three

elements of design; Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture. Personalization is
favourably associated with actual workplace fulfilment, job satisfaction, and
consequently, overall employee well-being, including health. When individuals
apply their favourite items and objects in their work area, it will give them feel of
being home and increase their comfort level. The study implemented
personalization in Architects’ office, in form of architectural elements- and not only
portable objects like plants- and find out people in any Personality groups, are
favourably affected by their desired environment. So, any successful office design
must point the personalization in work spaces.
5- Architecture in form of interior design has a great impact on overall
response of occupants. In Architects’ office, any managerial or environmental
strategy applies to increase the efficiency or Productivity of the office.
Environmental factors of this study are architectural elements; Colour, Lighting and
Form of the furniture, which implemented in Architects’ office as per research
requirement. Nevertheless, application of these variables must follow the standards
and operational policies, along with the user’s personal preferences. Comfortable
and ergonomic office design encourages the workers and improves their
Productivity substantially.

6.5 Limitations and Scope for Future Research

Although the PLS model resulting from this research study fits the data
reasonably well, it may be noticed that some extraneous variables such as
environmental factors like air conditioning and natural light, or organizational
culture may have had an influence on office Productivity but these were not
considered.
A proper validation of measurement parameters requires the assessment of
measurement properties over a variety of samples in similar and different contexts.
Moreover, samples from different organizational cultures may be gathered to
confirm, evaluate and refine the existing model. For future studies and experiments,
it is important to point out that the selection of Colour, Lighting and Form that are
planned to be used in the office environment experiments is an important issue.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 177

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

A limitation of this study is that only three out of six elements of interior
design were considered, thus; for further research, other elements can be
investigated. Furthermore, between psychological parameters in work area this
study only focused on Personality types, other concepts like behaviour, cognition
and motivation can be examined by other researchers.
As scope for future research, there could be significant enrichment in the
findings if the data could be collected from another organization or survey could
be conducted in other countries. Additionally, in the further studies, whether there
are demographic effects such as income level and area of interest- in case of
planning, designing, drawing, consulting, etc.- can also be explored, which was not
considered in this study.

6.6 Conclusions
In the course of this work, a strong relation was established between the
Architecture, Psychology and Productivity, in the Architects’ offices. The
conclusions of this research work was drawn relying upon the research framework
and the samples, collected from two countries under the study. These analyses
verified the connection between interior design and its components-Colour,
Lighting and Form- and the Personality of the employees, at the office interior
space, which helped to enhance the Productivity.
The study led to form a perspective about the relationship between physical
components of workspace, verifying more than at any time, the impacts of each
variable on the occupant’s feeling and activities. It is clear that the architectural
design elements can be accepted to not only represent a filling or aesthetic parts in
three dimensional environment, but they really have psychological benefits where
official activities take place.
The conclusion of the study is that there are preferences regarding Colour,
Lighting and Form of the furniture, for each Personality groups under the study.
Personality groups had diverse opinion and choices about architectural variables of
the study. This difference would depend on distinction among behavioural,
attitudinal and emotional pattern of the individuals. Employees had agreement and
disagreement about application of Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture in
their individual workplace. The outcome conducted on findings from 302

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 178

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

employees in over 8o Architects’ offices in two countries, Iran and India. The result
was based on the user’s subjective impression and personal preferences in case of
Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture.
The research study implemented an extensive perspective about the
psychological effects of Colour, Lighting and Form of the furniture, and how their
patterns and utilization have a visual and mental effect on occupants, in addition to
a more profound comprehension about an inter-relationship between these
variables in interior space of office buildings. Colour may have a profound impact
on human Psychology in daily life, where it may have distinctive implications in
keeping with the cultural and social values of the society. Other than that, Colour
is a significant element of design that has to be investigated in a full connection to
other elements specially lighting condition.
Space design in case of light should be made with consideration of the space
measurement and task’s type, to create the appropriate psychological and physical
conditions, with concerns of the behaviour and activities of employees inside the
spaces. In the present study, employees outlined ambient lighting for their
individual workstation, which has consistent distribution of light and enables
occupants to control the direction and illumination, personally.
This research considered the office furniture (particularly desking area) under
the effect of color and lighting, when the other parameters of room were considered
extraneous to the study. The interaction between vertical, horizontal and lateral
surfaces in connection to the office furniture studied in-depth with due concern with
the aesthetics. Attempt was made to create new furniture according to personal
preferences and choices of the users and with consideration of ergonomic and
standards of the human body, to specifically promote Productivity of the
employees.
Hence, there is an opportunity to extend this work by determining the impact
of the architectural sector in any type of offices, and evaluating their influences on
extraneous factors such as behaviour and motivation of employees in a situation of
one particular activity. Furthermore, the area of the study could cross the
boundaries and cover other countries, in case of concept development in the field
of architectural Psychology. Therefore, this research revealed a new direction for
future work regarding architectural and psychological influences of workplace, on

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 179

 Ch. 6 – Findings, Discussion, Implications and Conclusions

Productivity of workers. The research would continue with analysis of extraneous

components of physical setting and investigation of other psychological factors of
occupants in the office area.

ZAHRA POURSAFAR 180