The Effect of Background Music on Concentration and Productivity in Open-Plan Office Environments in Abuja

This study investigates the effect of background music on employee concentration and productivity in open-plan office environments in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Modern corporate offices in Nigerian cities increasingly adopt open-plan designs to encourage collaboration; however, ambient noise and distraction remain persistent challenges. Background music has been proposed as a tool for managing office acoustics and improving employee focus, but empirical evidence from Nigerian workplace contexts is limited. This research examines whether the presence or absence of background music, and its genre and tempo, affect the self-reported concentration and task completion rates of office employees. A within-subjects experimental design is adopted, exposing 60 employees in three Abuja government ministries and two private firms to controlled conditions of silence, instrumental music, and lyrical popular music over three separate workdays. Productivity is assessed using standardised task completion exercises and self-report concentration scales. Data analysis employs repeated measures analysis of variance. The study draws on music psychology, environmental psychology, and organisational behaviour literature from recent African and international studies. Findings will provide evidence-based guidance for office music policy decisions in Nigerian public and private sector organisations. Keywords: Background music, workplace productivity, concentration, open-plan office, Abuja.