TY - JOUR
T1 - Why we need more nature at work
T2 - Effects of natural elements and sunlight on employee mental health and work attitudes
AU - An, Mihyang
AU - Colarelli, Stephen M.
AU - O'Brien, Kimberly
AU - Boyajian, Melanie E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 An et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PY - 2016/5/1
Y1 - 2016/5/1
N2 - This study investigated the effects of natural elements and direct and indirect sunlight exposure on employee mental health and work attitudes. We recruited participants via an online panel from the United States and India, and analyzed data from 444 employees. Natural elements and sunlight exposure related positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and negatively to depressed mood and anxiety. Direct sunlight was a dominant predictor of anxiety; indirect sunlight was a dominant predictor of depressed mood, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Natural elements buffered the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction, depressed mood, and anxiety. We also found that depressed mood partially mediated the relationship between natural elements and job satisfaction. We discuss scientific and policy implications of these findings.
AB - This study investigated the effects of natural elements and direct and indirect sunlight exposure on employee mental health and work attitudes. We recruited participants via an online panel from the United States and India, and analyzed data from 444 employees. Natural elements and sunlight exposure related positively to job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and negatively to depressed mood and anxiety. Direct sunlight was a dominant predictor of anxiety; indirect sunlight was a dominant predictor of depressed mood, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Natural elements buffered the relationship between role stressors and job satisfaction, depressed mood, and anxiety. We also found that depressed mood partially mediated the relationship between natural elements and job satisfaction. We discuss scientific and policy implications of these findings.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84971006997&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0155614
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0155614
M3 - Article
C2 - 27214041
AN - SCOPUS:84971006997
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 11
JO - PLoS ONE
JF - PLoS ONE
IS - 5
M1 - e0155614
ER -
