Being treated unfairly, being prevented from attaining a goal and being put down by co-workers are among the most commonly cited anger producing events at work.

How angry we feel when these things happen however, can depend on the aspects of the office environment.

New research shows that office artwork, design and décor can affect whether a particular event makes us feel angry. In one recent study, people undertook an unpleasant and irritating computer task involving negative feedback, unclear instructions and impossible goals. Participants who completed the task in a room decorated with nature landscapes tended to experience lower levels of stress and anger than participants who completed the task in a room decorated with abstract art. The artwork was not mentioned to participants, nor were they told to look at the artwork - it was simply in the background while they completed the task. The effects were found to be especially strong for men. The researchers attributed this finding to the fact that men generally express more anger within the workplace than women.

How artwork makes a difference...

Many studies have shown that exposure to natural environments, including nature images and sounds, tends to reduce stress. Natural environments also help people to recover from mental fatigue. Evolutionary psychologists argue that human beings have evolved over many years to see the natural environment as a source of shelter, food and safety. Stress and tension levels tend to decrease when we are exposed to unthreatening natural environments. When people are less stressed, their threshold for getting angry increases and so fewer events are likely to be perceived as anger producing.

Office plants also have positive effects on employee stress and anger. One study compared people working in offices with no plants, some plants or a large number of plants. Employees in greener offices reported more positive moods and felt more comfortable at work.

Other aspects of office design have also been linked to anger and aggression. Crowded, noisy and overheated offices increase stress and tension and lower people's thresholds for experiencing anger. In environments such as a factory floor, these factors can mean the difference between two employees accidentally bumping one another and moving on, or ending up in a fight.

Finally, people tend to experience more positive moods when they are closer to a window. Exposure to adequate natural light is particularly important during winter in offices at very high or low latitudes. In these environments, the natural light people are exposed to during work hours may be the only natural light they see all day.

What this research means for employers...

A "green" office, incorporating a large numbers of plants is clearly desirable. Some researchers have even suggested replacing cubicle walls with slim hedges.

Colour is also important. Mood tends to improve as workplaces become more colourful, so long as they are not oversaturated with bright colours. It is often suggested that office designs incorporate colours similar to those found in natural landscapes, such as green and blue shades. Adequate natural lighting through windows is also important. Finally, it is important to manage workplace levels of noise, heat, light and crowding. Addressing these factors can have positive effects on employee mood and emotion and reduce anger and aggression levels.

And we all know what a happy workforce means - improved productivity and increased retention rates. 

Matthew Neale MAPS is a Senior Organisational Psychologist and National Consulting Manager at Onetest. For more information about this topic, please call 1300 137 937, e-mail enquiries@onetest.com.au or visit www.onetest.com.au