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Open Plan - Open Question

13-02-2009

I was asked recently to look into the pros and cons of open plan offices, and especially their effects on people’s wellbeing.

The large “office” where people were gathered to work on clerical tasks grew from the industrial revolution. Production of goods in large numbers demanded backup with marketing, accounting, ordering raw materials, staff wages, communication with markets, strategic planning etc. It was in this hothouse that “the management” class was propagated.

Early on, large numbers of people were required to process paperwork manually. They were crammed into small desk spaces. Over time, there was a move towards automated processing and the individual office became more popular.

A resurgence of the open plan office has happened over the past 20 years or so. This is based largely on the associated cost savings. It is much cheaper to erect partitions than to construct individual offices. There are major savings in temperature control and lighting. More work stations can be fitted into an open plan office per unit area. It is much cheaper to redesign work areas where walls don’t have to be moved.

Open plan offices facilitate communication, especially in industries where immediacy is an issue, such as design based areas. This worked very well in the early days of Silicon Valley, California. Like minded experts of similar status often worked in warehouse style environments. Brainstorming between these experts was easier.

It was said that time was saved by having people more accessible in open plan offices and that this should result in improved productivity.

This all sounds fine in principle, but….

The first complaint people usually make about open plan offices is about the noise. Where multiple conversations are going on, there will be a gradual increase in people’s speech volume. There is no such thing as privacy. Important personal phone conversations can be overheard. The noise and movement of people within large open plan offices act as constant distractions.

Infectious diseases (especially coughs and colds in winter) spread rapidly through open plan offices. People’s personal space is difficult to individualise (light, heat, décor). The open plan office will accentuate the differences in status between those who have individual offices and those who don’t.

I reviewed a website which asked for people’s comments about working in open plan offices. Most viewed them as difficult places to work. The other views vary between general approval of the communication benefits and acceptance as a reality which had to be dealt with. Dr. Vinesh Oommen of QUT researched this issue in 2008 and made some sobering findings. He confirmed the 20% cost saving, but also noted an increase in stress related medical problems such as hypertension. He also demonstrated a decline in productivity, increased levels of interpersonal conflict and higher staff turnover.

A few questions arise.

Are some industries less suited to open plan offices and vice versa?
Can something be done to reduce noise and improve privacy within an open plan design?

Unless these questions are addressed, the 20% cost saving could be a false economy in the longer term, given possible increases in stress related health problems and decreased productivity.

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