Tag Archives: what is better for your office

Myths of The Open Office Concept

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Employees working together in modern open office space, corporate group team employees using computers, talking, discuss project, colleagues in coworking, collaboration, teamwork

Since the 70s, the open office concept has gained lots of traction. In fact, in America, it’s estimated that 70% of all office spaces were open office concepts of some degree. Championed by businesses like Facebook and other Silicon Valley giants, the open office was supposed to be the creative, collaborative workspace of the future. The problem—open offices have done just the opposite. 

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the pitfalls of such a system, as well as discuss potential alternatives. 

Open Office Lack Of Creativity 

It’s rare when a concept does the exact opposite of what it was intended to do; unfortunately, that’s what we have with open offices. 

According to a 2018 Harvard Business Schol research paper, open offices reduced face to face interactions drastically, promoting emails and instant messages (IMs) more. Perhaps more importantly, workers were less productive, efficient, and quality fell to boot. 

Other studies have shown decreases in creativity, productivity, job satisfaction, and attention spans. In an era where everyone’s attention spans are decreasing, the last thing a business needs is even less attention from employees.

If that wasn’t enough, higher stress levels, blood pressure, and job turnover are also associated with open offices. Not quite the office revolution that people were hoping for. 

So…Now What?

So cubicles are drab, but open offices are bad in almost every way. What do we do? Well, as with most things in life, the best option may be somewhere in the middle. Some companies are utilizing open office design in small groups. Each group will have its own sequestered space but will be able to collaborate amongst themselves. This boosts productivity and collaboration without having the noise of the entire office distracting them. 

Getting the Most Out of Your Office With Indoff

If you want the most productive office space for you and your staff, you’ll need to get the best equipment for your staff. Here at Indoff, we ensure that our collection of office furniture and equipment is of quality design and functionality. Contact us today to find the best office furniture for your goals! 

 

What is Better: Office Cubicles or an Open Workspace?

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office staff working in their office cubiclesWhether you are a new startup or just moving to a new building it can be a challenge to look out at all that open space and decide what to do with it. The main question at hand will be how to divide the space. You can choose office cubicles or an open workspace. What you decide will ultimately depend on your work culture.

The History of Office Cubicles

In 1960 Herman Miller created a study to examine furniture in the workplace. The study employed behaviorists, mathematicians, and anthropologists. He wanted to know how people worked, how information traveled, and how the layout of the office affected performance. At the time, the common trend for office workspace was an open plan with rows of uniform desks offering no privacy. The study showed that this layout actually interrupted the flow of communication. Robert Propst, who ran the study, found that employees were also suffering from sitting from long periods of time.

Herman Miller designed office furniture to combat these problems. However, the assembly was difficult and employees struggled to construct the workspaces. They then created what we know as office cubicles to maximize the efficiency of small areas.

Maximize Efficiency in the Workplace

Multiple other studies have been conducted throughout the years to find the optimal work environment. “Cube farms” are often noted in a bad light in multiple comic strips depicting life in the workplace. However, there are benefits to be found in both open workspaces and rooms divided by office cubicles. It is actual quite possible to increase productivity and foster open communication by changing the layout of the office.

Office cubicles are great for creating privacy for employees. There are also options that offer segregated space with an open feel. An open space can foster more communication and collaboration. Giving employees the option to sit, stand, and walk around will also create a more relaxed workspace that can lead to higher workplace contentment.

Your Company Culture

When it comes to choosing cubicles or opting for an open workspace, you want to access your corporate culture. Do your employees require a lot of dedicated focus? Do you need a constant abundance of new ideas? Knowing what your employees need will help you decide between the two options.

Contact Kim Gregory Today

The great part about working with Kim Gregory of Indoff Commercial Interiors is the fact that she will help you decide which is best for your company. You can communicate your vision and ideas and she will help those thoughts materialize. She will get you from a drawn sheet of paper to cubicles and office furniture delivered and assembled. Give her a call today to find out more.