The correlation between workplace design and work effectiveness of employees in the Calabar free trade zone, Nigeria

The purpose of this, study was to examine the relationship between workplace design or layout and work effectiveness of employees 300 worker drawn from the 25 functional manufacturing industries located in the Calabar free trade zone, Nigeria, constituted the population of the study. A sample of 200, which was representative of the various cadres of workers, was carved from the population randomly. Data was gathered with questionnaire from 200 respondents and hypothesis tested with Pearson product-moment correlation analysis at 0.05 level of significance and 118 degree of freedom. Findings indicates that most workers were dissatisfied with their offices or factories physical design, such as the circulation of gangways/walkways, the articulation and functional relationships between spaces, ventilation and the manner in which equipment/workstations are arranged and fitted. Furthermore, findings also reveals that some of the consequences of unsafe and unpleasant work environment include; stress, industrial accidents and the development of chronic diseases, which affects employees physical and mental fitness, as well as, their work effectiveness. It was recommended that organizations should provide work environments that are supportive of work effectiveness and which guarantees the health, safety and welfare of its workers.