Workplace music that fails to match job rhythm is a mood killer and energy zapper that encourages poor employee behaviour, new research has found.
Lead researcher Kathleen Keeler from the Ohio State University said about 13.5 million people in the United States were in occupations where background music was common.
Many workers in these industries had trouble screening out this background noise.
“Music that doesn’t fit what an employee needs to feel energised, manage emotions, and focus on task can have a real negative impact,” Dr Keeler said.
“We found that a music misfit can lead employees to feel more fatigued, have trouble focusing, and not really enjoy being at work. And that in turns prompts them to engage in behaviours that can harm the organisation.”
The study was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
The research involved 166 full-time workers who listened to different types and volumes of music.
After completing the task, they rated how much of the music they heard matched their need for volume, speed, complexity and emotional intensity.
“The findings showed participants experienced a negative impact if the characteristics of the playlist they listened to was out of sync with what they said they needed,” the study report said.
“Those who had a music misfit showed a decrease in pleasant feelings and emotions and also more cognitive depletion – a feeling of mental exhaustion.”
A second study involved 68 workers in health care offices, retail stores and dining halls where background music was a feature of their everyday work life.
“The findings confirmed results of the first study and added another wrinkle: Music misfit had an impact on job performance,” the report said.
“Participants were more likely to act in ways that hurt the company – and less likely to do positive things – on days when they felt out of sync with the music they heard.”
“Negative actions could include working more slowly, talking negatively about the workplace with other employees, and pilfering office supplies.”
Ms Keeler said the results suggested workplace music was not a trivial matter. Poorly chosen background music was “not good for business”.
The full report is on the Ohio State University website.
