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Open Plan Office Space image © Foundation7 and shared under CC license[/caption]
A recent study has shown that open plan offices are not delivering on the promise of a more productive workforce. At Doorsan we are not surprised by the findings. We never thought that pulling down walls and doors in offices was a good idea! Personally I think there is a time and place for open plan offices, particularly for small teams dealing with customers who can share information and knowledge, however I think most roles require a certain level of quiet to allow concentration and focus. I have a habit of mumbling to myself while working through something and this would not go down well in an open plan space.
Over the past few years there has been a growing trend towards more open plan working environments with companies like Google and Facebook reporting improved working practices and motivation amongst staff. The rationale behind open plan offices is usually cost savings and improved communication amongst workers. While it is true that you can squeeze a lot more people into one room with cubicle-like workstations, the truth is that the noise levels and distractions are negatively affecting workers.
A study by Canada Life Group Insurance has found that open plan working is affecting motivation and health with just 6.1% of those surveyed believing that an open plan environment was healthy. Alongside issues of concentration, there are health concerns related to the proximity of others and the likelihood of passing on bugs and illnesses. The same study found that only 6.5% of people felt that open plan was productive for workers.
At Doorsan we have a wide variety of doors for home and commercial environments. If you are looking to move away from open plan and renovate your office space then take a look at our collection of doors on our website.
