Effects of perceived office environment on the subjective well-being of workers: Insights from a structural equation modeling analysis

Well-being is a positive mental state that includes evaluations and affective reactions individuals make about their experiences, including life evaluation, affect, and eudaimonia. The importance of well-being is underscored by its association with productivity, health, and longevity. Despite extensive research on well-being related to demographics, personality traits, and satisfaction in various life domains, it remains unclear how and to what extent the office environment impacts workers' well-being. Therefore, this study explores the impact of the office environment on workers' subjective well-being, using structural equation modeling. Conducted with 1438 whitecollar workers working in 61 offices in Tokyo, Japan, the survey assessed perceived office environment and measured subjective well-being based on guidelines from the OECD. The key findings indicate a significant association of the office environment with life domain factors such as satisfaction with one's job, work-life balance, private life, and subjective health, which are positively correlated with overall subjective well-being. In particular, common-area environments within the office such as spaces that promote refreshment and conversation have the most significant impact on well-being. The analysis model also revealed that the perceived quality of the office environment had a positive correlation with subjective well-being even after adjusting for demographic information such as age, gender, and personality traits. This research provides valuable insights for improving the design of office environments to foster workers' well-being.