David Heinemeier Hansson has a nice article on open offices: The open-plan office is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea. He cites the usual research showing that purported gains in interaction and communication just don’t happen and that productivity for thought workers is severely damaged. Most everyone knows this.
There are, DHH says, a minority of people who enjoy the environment but it seems unlikely to me that they’re going to be the productive ones. Judging from the comments, those that liked open offices liked them because it allowed them to do all the things that make them so horrible for everyone else: easy talk to colleagues, see what everyone is doing, and so on. There are, I’m sure, a few people who like open plan offices and still manage to be productive but I’m betting they’re a minority of the minority.
Another interesting point that emerged from the comments is that no one is fooled by all the management babble about collaboration and increased communication. They all know that that’s a lie intended to sugar coat the real reason that is, of course, reduced costs. Other commenters note that management never avails themselves of all the reputed advantages, preferring to inflict those advantages on others. The situation would be slightly improved by a little less hypocrisy on the part of those who decree it for others but not themselves.
Whatever your feelings on the matter, it’s a good article and the comments are worth reading too.