Investigating Workplace Music Preferences and Their Role in Employee Productivity and Well-Being: A Cross-Sectional Study in Indonesia

Abstract

Music is conventionally perceived as a medium of entertainment and artistic expression. How-ever, among employees, music assumes a broader functional role, supporting productivity and psychological well-being across diverse workplace contexts. This study aimed to investigate the functional role of music among employees experiencing work-related stress and low motivation. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 employees representing diverse socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Participants reported their musical preferences and perceived psychological effects of music across different emotional states at work. Data analysis, including word cloud visualization and heatmap modeling, revealed that genres such as pop and dangdut dominated across both emotional conditions. However, the functional objectives of music usage differed; employees experiencing stress favored music for emotional balance and familiar com-fort, while those facing low motivation preferred music that energized and re-engaged cognitive resources. The findings highlight that music serves adaptive emotional and cognitive regulatory functions, leading to increased productivity, emotional stabilization, and sustained concentration. These results offer practical implications for workplace well-being strategies, emphasizing the potential of personalized auditory environments in enhancing employee resilience and performance.