Team Motivation – how art supports mood and performance

People do not work in a vacuum; they work in spaces. Colours, forms and the atmosphere of an office influence concentration, creativity and team spirit every single day. High-quality artworks tap into exactly this: they create identity, bring energy into the room, open perspectives and lift employees out of grey routine.

Whether in meeting rooms, open-plan areas, leadership floors or quiet focus zones, art can become a visual anchor for clarity, courage and new ideas. Employees feel valued when their environment is consciously designed – not just functional, but inspiring. This strengthens motivation, loyalty and pride in the workplace.

For many leaders it is important not only to feel these effects, but also to back them up with data. That is why you will find here a selection of internationally recognised studies examining the relationship between work environment, well-being and productivity.

Studies: How well-being, work environment and productivity are connected

1. Happiness and Productivity – University of Warwick

Study:
Oswald, A. J., Proto, E., & Sgroi, D. (2015). Happiness and Productivity. Journal of Labor Economics, 33(4), 789–822.

Key finding:
In controlled experiments, employees who were put into a positive, “happy” mood were on average about 12% more productive than the control group – with the same tasks and the same pay.

Links:
Journal / abstract:
https://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jlabec/doi10.1086-681096.html
Open-access PDF (University of Warwick):
https://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/63228/7/WRAP_Oswald_681096.pdf

“A widely cited study from the University of Warwick shows that employees in a positive mood worked on average around 12% more productively than the control group – with identical tasks and identical pay

2. Does Employees’ Subjective Well-Being Affect Workplace Performance?

Study:
Bryson, A., Forth, J., & Stokes, L. (2017). Does employees’ subjective well-being affect workplace performance? Human Relations, 70(8), 1017–1037.

Key finding:The study analysed several thousand employees in UK companies. Workplaces with higher average job satisfaction and subjective well-being show significantly better performance – for example higher productivity and quality. This relationship remains even when other influencing factors are statistically controlled for.

Links:
Publisher / abstract (Sage / Human Relations):
https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726717693073PDF
Open access (e.g. via Scispace):
https://scispace.com/pdf/does-employees-subjective-well-being-affect-workplace-1ikhe8eztv.pd

“A large-scale study in the journal Human Relations shows that where employees’ average well-being is higher, productivity and quality are measurably better – even when other factors are taken into account.”

3. Gallup meta-analysis on satisfaction, engagement and business outcomes

Study:
Bryson, A., Forth, J., & Stokes, L. (2017).
Does employees’ subjective well-being affect workplace performance? Human Relations, 70(8), 1017–1037.

Key finding:
The study analysed several thousand employees in UK companies. Workplaces with higher average job satisfaction and subjective well-being show significantly better performance – for example higher productivity and quality. This relationship remains even when other influencing factors are statistically controlled for.

Links:
Publisher / abstract (Sage / Human Relations):
https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726717693073PDF
Open access (e.g. via Scispace):
https://scispace.com/pdf/does-employees-subjective-well-being-affect-workplace-1ikhe8eztv.pdf

“A large-scale study in the journal Human Relations shows that where employees’ average well-being is higher, productivity and quality are measurably better – even when other factors are taken into account.”