Researchers at the University of Utah have found that bigger computer monitors make workers more productive.
Tests were carried out on a group using 18, 22 and 24-inch monitors. Sample tasks included copying numbers between spreadsheets and editing documents.
Those test subjects using the 24-inch monitors were found to be 52 per cent faster than their 18-inch counterparts, while those using the 22-inch monitors were found to be 44 per cent faster than the 18-inchers.
Save 2.5 hours a day
The study concluded that using a bigger monitor could save up to 2.5 hours a day. That’s assuming the person behind it just works solidly for eight hours and isn’t tempted to find other ways to distract themselves. Kind of like assuming employees who regularly phone in sick actually get sick regularly.
The study also found that there is a point where things get too big. Monitors larger than 24 inches tend to have the opposite effect on productivity, causing it to tail off.
James Anderson, the professor in charge of the study, told the Business Technology Blog that, ultimately, he thinks businesses should take the time to match employees with the proper size screen based on their job.
Hmm… nothing like a bit of cod research that ends up kind of defeating the point it was originally trying to make. They might as well have asked whether comfier office chairs make workers more productive or more prone to dozing off.
