A study conducted at the University of Minnesota answers the question “Does the order have a real meaning on the person, on his behavior, even on his health?“.
” A clean and tidy office can be associated with generosity, a more conventional mind and even healthier food choices, while a messy office will be more associated with creativity and entrepreneurship. Concluded from Kathleen Vohs and her colleagues in Minnesota. Who explain, that “ contrary to popular belief, you can really achieve great results in a messy environment. But it all depends on the activity or the company for which we work “.
To come to its conclusions, the scientists conducted tests.
Participants were asked to complete questionnaires in an office, some in a clean and tidy room, others on a desk cluttered with papers and office supplies. They then had to donate to a charity, then finally choose between two snacks, a candy bar or an apple.
Participants in tidy offices act in a conventional manner. They do what is expected of them. They are more generous for the donation and more reasonable for the snack. They choose the apple unlike the other participants.
But disorder also has its advantages. It promotes creativity, the taste for novelty and adventure. Indeed, disorderly participants easily imagine new uses for ping-pong balls, and are attracted to unfamiliar objects.
Kathleen Vohs concludes that “ messy environments liberate traditions and foster the imagination. And that an orderly environment promotes security and “the conventional “.
However, this study does not answer the question ” are we ordered because conventional or disorderly because creative ?