Validating and configuring a higher-order environmental ergonomics construct for occupant performance

Purpose This study empirically examines the influence of environmental ergonomics implementation (EEI) on indoor environmental comfort (IECP), cognitive and behavioral performance (CBP), health and wellbeing (HWP) and occupant productivity (OPP). By conceptualizing EEI as a multidimensional higher-order construct, the study assesses the strength of these relationships, identifies the most influential dimensions and explores how contextual combinations shape human-centered performance outcomes in real-world building environments. Design/methodology/approach A structured quantitative survey was administered to 106 built-environment professionals practicing in Lagos State, Nigeria. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the higher-order EEI construct and estimate its predictive effects on the four outcome variables. To complement the net-effects analysis, fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was applied to identify configurational pathways, revealing how different combinations of EEI dimensions jointly lead to high levels of occupant performance. Findings The PLS-SEM results indicate that EEI has significant positive effects on all four human-centered performance dimensions, with the strongest effect observed for indoor environmental comfort. The fsQCA findings reveal multiple causal configurations through which EEI dimensions interact to produce optimal performance outcomes, highlighting the synergistic and multi-causal nature of environmental ergonomics in building contexts. Practical implications The findings underscore the need for stronger regulatory frameworks, targeted professional training, and sustained investment in ergonomics-enhancing technologies to improve human-centered building performance. Originality/value This study is among the first in the region to conceptualize and empirically validate environmental ergonomics implementation as a multidimensional higher-order construct and to examine its simultaneous effects on comfort, cognition, health and productivity using a combined PLS-SEM and fsQCA approach. It advances environmental ergonomics research by moving beyond isolated factor analysis toward an integrated, predictive and implementation-oriented perspective.