Music in the Workplace
Over the ages, music has held a place in the working environment˳ From it’s use in the earliest of times until its near extinction during the Industrial Age to the present day, music has played a vital role to employees˳
A Brief History
Music is a universal language that transcends boundaries˳ In Victorian times, handloom weavers sang as they worked˳ When the loud machinery of the Industrial Age came along, music in the workplace was nearly lost˳ During World War II, music was once again introduced to employees via radio˳
Employees, often children, would lose fingers to the looms while attempting to remove something that was blocking it˳ Child laborers would sing to keep themselves awake˳
Railroad workers and farmers sang to relieve monotony and to stay alert to dangers˳ With the advent of machines in the Industrial Age, singing was literally drowned out˳ In quieter factories, women or orchestras were hired to sing and play among the workers˳ Music all but died during this time˳ (le Roux, 2005, vol˳ 7)
Radio was mainly used as a means to convey news, but in 1940, the British Broadcasting Corporation began running a radio program called “Music While You Work˳” It ran twice per day and was geared especially for the factory workers˳ The bands for the show were instructed to play medleys in order to keep the workers’ attention˳ Also vital was for the music to keep a rhythm that would keep productivity up˳
In 1942, the song “Deep in Heart of Texas” was banned due to the handclapping section that encouraged workers to momentarily stop and participate˳ (le Roux, 2005) Even in these earliest of times, the benefits of music in the workplace were recognized:
o Increased productivity
o Fewer accidents
o Improved alertness
o Team interaction
In response to the positive reaction, the company Muzak was founded in the 1950’s to provide music to companies˳ The company is still going strong today˳
Modern Study of Music in the Workplace
In modern times, studies have been conducted to gauge the benefits of music in a work setting˳ These studies have proved much of what was already known, mainly that music improves productivity˳
One study indicates that “positive affect and quality-of-work were lowest with no music, while time-on-task was longest when music was removed˳” (Lesiuk, 2005, pp˳173-191) On the other hand, “positive mood change and enhanced perception of design” (Lesiuk, pp˳173-191) were complemented with the addition of music˳
Additional studies have shown that music in the workplace promotes positive mood, sense of team, improves alertness and can lessen the event of accidents˳ Music “motivates workers, decreases boredom and leads to increased productivity perhaps because people work in time with the beat˳” (le Roux, 2005)
Employers do need to consider the type of music played in a workplace˳ The mood and style should fit the business˳ Experts suggest all-instrumental soundtracks so that workers don’t become distracted by the lyrics˳ (Guess, 1999, p˳ 42)
Personal Headphones in the Workplace
Today, there is some movement toward personal stereos for employees˳ A study by researchers at the university of Illinois shows listening to music may increase the output of employees in all types of jobs˳ (Oldham, 1996, p˳ 95) The idea of personal stereos is that when a worker is allowed to listen to the type of music he or she enjoys, the better the quality of their work˳ While this idea is fairly recent, it does show promise˳
Conclusion
Music has been the soundtrack to humanity undoubtedly since time began˳ It speaks to people on a primal level˳ Before researchers even began to study the effect of music on workers, people were weaving, working in their fields or and other jobs while humming or singing along˳ Now, researchers are proving what these people knew all along: music makes work go by faster and keeps spirits up˳
Works Cited
Can personal stereos improve productivity?, Oldham, Greg, 1996
hrmagazine˳be
Work to the music, Guess, Terri P˳, 1999, blackenterprise˳com
“Whistle While You Work”: A Historical Account of Some Associations Among Music,
Work and Health, le Roux, Gordon Marc, 2005, ajph˳org
The effect of music listening on work performance, Lesuik, Teresa, 2005, pom˳sagepub˳com
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