Listen While You Work:

The Potential Business Benefits of Music

By Mark Toft
Staples Editor

It's not surprising that music can boost employee productivity and morale. What's surprising is that businesses have understood this for so long. As early as the 1880s, some industries were hiring singers and small orchestras to serenade factory workers.¹

Now, of course, businesses don't have to rely on "analog" musicians; they can get music much more efficiently, and affordably, from sounds systems, shelf stereos, and radio alarm clocks.

A bump in productivity

Bose® Lifestyle® 5

Playing music (especially instrumental music, since there are no lyrics to distract one's attention) can enhance employee productivity, particularly for workers who perform highly repetitive tasks or work in a stressful environment. In a test on the effects of music at the American Machine Foundry Company in Brooklyn, the management consulting company, Case and Company, discovered that music increased production efficiency by as much as 4.1 percent, and employee promptness by as much 31.2 percent.²

But music does more than augment productivity; it can also be a mood enhancer. Office Angels, a secretarial recruiting agency in Britain, called on a music psychologist, James Godfrey, to advise them about music selection. Godfrey has found that music, in addition to being "a proven work motivator", can produce "a state of calm, relaxed alertness" and increase concentration levels by "masking irregular background noise."³ Given that a recent survey has shown that 70 percent of workers cite noise as "the most significant workplace distraction"⁴, this is no small benefit.

Although Godfrey has found that classical, especially Baroque, music "produces the right frequency and sound to harmonize the functioning of the brain", he's also found that "dance music with no lyrics" also works well, and is typically more popular with younger employees. The best bet is to experiment. Some people, for instance, will likely prefer jazz.

Music can produce 'a state of calm, relaxed alertness' and increase concentration levels by 'masking irregular background noise', says James Godfrey.

A jump in sales

If you sell products in a retail environment, picking the right music can help increase your sales. When customers are in an attractive environment with beautiful music, they're apt to stay longer in the store. The longer they linger, the greater the chance they'll make a purchase. According to audio equipment manufacturer JBL, "stores and restaurants with the highest sales per square foot are the ones who are most careful about sound quality, music programming, and customer satisfaction."⁵

There's no magic formula for music selection. Ultimately, the music selection should be appropriate to your products and your clientele. Some businesses, such as Victoria's Secret (which favors classical) and Starbucks (which favors soft blues and jazz), have found that they can sell CDs of the music they play in their stores.

Options in office audio

Headsets

For a high–quality system –– with the reflected sound that's made Bose® speakers famous –– consider the Lifestyle 5 from Bose®. In addition to producing a rich sound, the Lifestyle 5 is easy to set–up. It comes in one carton, and only requires the connection of four wires to install. It also has a stylish, brushed aluminum finish that looks great in any reception area or office. What's more, the Lifestyle 5 can be expanded to provide sound in up to three additional rooms, all without buying a second system. All you need to add is a pair of speakers in each room.

If you're looking for something to fit on your desk shelf, you can also buy a desktop or clock radio. And if you don't want employees to play music aloud while they're busily working on the next report or presentation, consider buying them stereo headsets.

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¹Sundstrom, Eric. Work Places: The Psychology of the Physical Environment in Offices and Factories. Cambridge University Press, 1996. Orinally found in Darcy Anderson's, "Improving the Physical Environment in the Workplace", ESU Online Management Journal.

²Case and Company findings published in "Music Use in Factories and Offices" by the Irish Music Rights Organisation Limited, ©2002.

³From Office Angels news, May 1999.

⁴"Sound, Noise, and Effective Work", a joint study conducted by Armstrong World Industries, Dynasound, Milliken & Company, Steelcase, and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). © 2002.

⁵JBL Professional, "The JBL Guide to Professional Music". © 1998.

The information contained in this article is only an overview of the subject matter made for general guidance to the reader, and is subject in all cases to limitations and disclaimers set forth in Staples' Legal Terms and Conditions.