Dec 07, 2013 03:53 AM EST By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

Potted plants are normally grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects and health benefits. Now, a new study by the University of Exeter has revealed that houseplants at workplace can enhance creativity and productivity of employees, which could eventually lead to promotion and improve company's overall performance.

The researchers found that indoor plants improve staff wellbeing by 47 per cent, creativity by 45 percent and productivity by 38 percent. The finding now contradicts the popular belief that houseplants are unwanted elements in the business environment.

The study was conducted by the Identity Realization research group at the University of Exeter in collaboration with Indoor Garden Design.

For the study, the researchers measured the creativity, happiness and productivity of 350 visitors at the Chelsea Flower Show in a series of 90 experiments at four different designed work environments.

 "We have previously shown that designing your own workspace improves health, happiness and productivity. It was time to go a step further and see whether the principle can also be applied to creativity and indeed whether the very act of designing the workspace can be used effectively," Psychologist Dr Craig Knight from the University of Exeter said in a statement.

Knight said that the results from the horticultural show indicated that business profitability can be achieved by enhancing staff's psychological well-being and the design of the environment. Well-made and personalized office space can boost psychological comfort, productivity and creativity.

The experiment is a follow up of a previous study conducted by Knight with colleagues from the University's Psychology Department. The study showed that customizing office space led to job satisfaction and better performance. Employers were healthier and happier, and displayed 38 percent more productivity when compared to their peers who had a bare cubicle.

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