Research Promotes Workplace Flowers

According to recent Harvard University behavioral research, the factors most likely to impact 21st-century employees’ well being were commitment and productivity. This study was commissioned by the SAF/FPO Alliance to provide a solid news hook for a public relations program promoting flowers in the workplace.

Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, led the study. It showed that employee commitment is largely influenced by one’s sense of purpose, feeling of personal impact, and overall trust in the organization for which they work. The quality of human relationships, including cooperative, social group moods and interaction, greatly affect productivity.

“The results lead us to conclude that workplaces that provide positive environments to foster interpersonal trust and quality personal relationships create the most committed and productive employees,” said Etcoff.

This survey presents a rich opportunity to capitalize and to promote flowers in workplace environments, so the Alliance launched a strategic PR campaign in July. Courtney Anderson, business strategist and workplace relationship expert, is the spokesperson. She incorporates flowers in her tips to employees in a press release targeted to business and human resources publications, news and talk radio stations, and general print media nationwide.

A suggestion for employers to foster corporate trust is to “manage their physical environments as much as the workload,” and the 2006 SAF/FPO Alliance’s Home Ecology of Flowers Study by Etcoff and Harvard confirms flowers have an energizing effect on people at work. Something as simple as adding flowers to the environment can enhance moods, social interaction and on-the-job creativity and productivity.

Anderson also encourages employees to create a healthy work environment for themselves. “Doing little things like adding flowers to your workplace or taking a few extra minutes to get to know your co-workers will make you happier at work.”

The SAF/FPO Alliance will promote the program throughout the fall in a continued effort to put the floral message in the context of everyday news.

For more information visit www.safnow.org.