Comfort at work Perspectives from environmental psychology and management sciences
International conference organized by the LAPPS and PRIMAL (University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense)
When many surveys, scientific meetings and professional seminars warn us on the suffering at work, burnout and psychological risks, organizing a conference on comfort at work may seem provocative. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of this reason, companies invest more frequently in the comfort of their employees to prevent occupational and organizational risks, but also to enhance their image and to motivate their employees. Comfort at work becomes a market and an organizational, societal challenge.
But what is the comfort? To answer to this question, why not looking into researches about how employees experience their workplace? In this perspective, environmental psychology as well as management sciences, have a particular role to play.
Environmental psychology highlights physical dimension of comfort (eg, nuisances or standards establishing "comfort zones"...) , functional dimension of comfort (eg, assessment and satisfaction, resulting from the developped dynamic between the employee and his work environment) and psychological dimension of comfort (through space appropriation, attachement to the workplace...) (Rioux, Le Roy, Rubens, Le Conte, 2013).
For management sciences, comfort is considered as a dimension of well-being and would be predicted by psychological detachment ans, to a lesser extent, the quality of management and social support (Abord de Chatillon & Carrier Vernhet, 2012)
This international conference has two main objectives :
To be the culmination of several years of international collaboration involving senior and junior researchers around the world (Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden, Turkey and France), which resulted in the publication of a book entitled "Comfort at work. What can we learn from environmental psychology?" (2013, Presses Universitaires de Laval).
To examine these two disciplines and to think about how current researches of environmental psychology and management science can be articulated and can contribute to a better understanding of comfort related issues. More specifically, how to move from a viable working environment to a comfortable one, which generates satisfaction and well-being, as well as performance and productivity?
The conference will take place on November 7th and 8th 2013.
The first day will be organized around comfort at work and the challenges of environmental psychology. Symposiums of international researchers will explore the various aspects of comfort.
The second day will focus on comfort at work and the challenges of management sciences. Roundtables with various researchers (from ergonomics, management, sociology, engineering, architecture...), as well as representatives of institutions, associations or HR are expected. The aim of this day is to enable researchers from the first day to discuss their scientific work with the managerial experience.
Parallel and poster sessions will punctuate these two days. All scientific approaches are expected.
Scientific committee
Phillip Beaman, Senior Lecturer and Lab Director in cognitive psychology (University of Reading, UK)
Christina Bodin Danielsson, Office researcher at the Stress Research Institute and practicing architect specializing in office at Brunnberg & Forshed Architects Ltd (Stockholm University, SE)
Marino Bonaiuto, Professor of psychology (University of Sapienza, Roma, IT)
Mirilia Bonnes, Professor of psychology (University of Sapienza, Roma, IT) and Director of the "Centro Inter-universitario di Ricerca in Psicologia Ambientale" (CIRPA)
Ramon Ferrer, Professeor of ergonomics and Director of the Risk Prevention Superior School (University of Barcelona, ES)
Marie-Line Félonneau, Tenured professor of environmental psychology (University of Bordeaux, FR)
Ghozlane Fleury-Bahi, Professor of environmental psychology (University of Nantes, FR)
Ferdinando Fornara, Research fellow and lecturer in Social Psychology and Environmental Psychology (University of Cagliari, IT)
Patrick Gosling, Professor and Director of the LAPPS (University of Paris Ouest, FR)
Nigel J. Holt, Senior Lecturer in Psychology (University of Aberystwyth, UK)
Goksenin Inalhan, Assistant professor of Architecture (Istanbul Technical University, TR)
Enric Net, Associated Professor of social psychology (University of Barcelona, ES)
Pascal Paillé, Professor of management sciences (University of Laval, CA) and Director of the "Groupe de Recherche sur la REtention et la FIDélisation des ressources humaines" (GREFID)
Eric Pezet, Professor of management sciences (University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, FR)
Enric Pol, Professor of applied social psychology and environemental Psychology (University of Barcelona, ES)
Liliane Rioux, Professor of environmental psychology applied to work environment (University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, FR)
David Uzzell, Professor of environmental psychology and lab director (University of Surrey, UK)
Jacqueline Vischer, Professor emerita of psychology and architecture (University of Montreal, CA) and founder of the "Groupe de Recherche sur les Environnements de Travail" (GRET)
Organization committee
Liliane Rioux, Professor (University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, FR)