In addition to helping retain valuable employees, a homelike corporate culture also may increase productivity. Some Japanese corporations use aromatherapy to keep workers alert. And background music has been shown to increase productivity by 5 percent, according to a 1996 study published in the April issue of HR Magazine . Kahn says Muzak no longer touts productivity as a benefit of its product. If an employee is happy and that makes them more productive, that's great.
People spend more time at work than they do at home and people love music.
Great music is going to have a great impact on how people feel about where they work. The key to their effectiveness is making sure they meet employee needs and that top management buys in 100 percent. If you are putting those things in the workplace as a small piece of a larger initiative, then they matter. A small business can't have all the bells and whistles necessarily, but they can do a lot. They can find out what's important to their people, they can walk the talk, and that doesn't cost money.