Study after study has shown that the amount of ventilation, or fresh outdoor air brought inside, is a critical determinant of health. A research team from Harvard and Syracuse Universities dug deeper to find out if better air influences a worker’s ability to process information, make strategic decisions and respond to crises.
The results show it is time to air out the office and take actions to improve the air quality for employees’ health and productivity.
Source: Harvard Business Review, March 21, 2017.
We found that breathing better air led to significantly better decision-making performance among our participants. We saw higher test scores across nine cognitive function domains when workers were exposed to increased ventilation rates, lower levels of chemicals, and lower carbon dioxide. The results showed the biggest improvements in areas that tested how workers used information to make strategic decisions and how they plan, stay prepared, and strategize during crises.