Nowadays, a lot of offices have open-space designs instead of separate rooms.
In recent years, numerous enterprises have been adopting open-space layouts in lieu of closed workplaces. In my opinion, although this propensity has proven its upsides, they are somehow eclipsed by a whole host of drawbacks.
It is true that the former is beneficial to the staff regarding their interaction and quality of work. First of all, this type of layout might prompt interpersonal communication among the employees, ameliorating both their mental and emotional well-being. Engaging in conversations, or exchanging ideas with others, in fact, might alleviate their working stress, and therefore improve their work productivity. Second, working in open space enables the staff to establish and maintain relationships with other co-workers. To illustrate, people in varied departments can not only share equipment and resources such as printers or stationery, but there might also be more scope for fruitful team-working projects. As a result, social bondings in the whole company would be engendered, inspiring and enhancing their working environment.
Nonetheless, the aforementioned merits pale in comparison with the downsides, as a shared workplace is not private enough and might be hard for the staff to focus on their work in one way or another. In terms of privacy, the higher number of people in a given space could be responsible for the feeling of unpleasantness and embarrassment. This kind of design renders employees less comfortable when working or answering confidential emails. In addition, the staff have to contend with such a high level of distractions, for example, from phone ringing or people talking. These elements might in turn interfere with their working, minimizing their focus and engagement in work. Finally, the fact that people are situated closer together might exert a threat on their health due to the increasing potential rate of infection. This may cause more absence from work, which may worsen the overall productivity.
In conclusion, I am firmly convinced that the upsides of the idea of open-space offices are overshadowed by its limitations.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
In recent years, numerous enterprises have been adopting open-space layouts in lieu of closed workplaces. In my opinion, although this propensity has proven its upsides, they are somehow eclipsed by a whole host of drawbacks.
It is true that the former is beneficial to the staff regarding their interaction and quality of work. First of all, this type of layout might prompt interpersonal communication among the employees, ameliorating both their mental and emotional well-being. Engaging in conversations, or exchanging ideas with others, in fact, might alleviate their working stress, and therefore improve their work productivity. Second, working in open space enables the staff to establish and maintain relationships with other co-workers. To illustrate, people in varied departments can not only share equipment and resources such as printers or stationery, but there might also be more scope for fruitful team-working projects. As a result, social bondings in the whole company would be engendered, inspiring and enhancing their working environment.
Nonetheless, the aforementioned merits pale in comparison with the downsides, as a shared workplace is not private enough and might be hard for the staff to focus on their work in one way or another. In terms of privacy, the higher number of people in a given space could be responsible for the feeling of unpleasantness and embarrassment. This kind of design renders employees less comfortable when working or answering confidential emails. In addition, the staff have to contend with such a high level of distractions, for example, from phone ringing or people talking. These elements might in turn interfere with their working, minimizing their focus and engagement in work. Finally, the fact that people are situated closer together might exert a threat on their health due to the increasing potential rate of infection. This may cause more absence from work, which may worsen the overall productivity.
In conclusion, I am firmly convinced that the upsides of the idea of open-space offices are overshadowed by its limitations.