5 negative impacts of open plan offices
If one looks into the most coveted desk spaces in an open plan office, they are the ones where nobody is sitting behind the person; where people sit between desks and walls. Ever wondered why that is?
People like their personal space, and feel uncomfortable when they know someone can be looking onto their screens and watching what they’re doing. It creates distrust and insecurity in a world where data privacy is already a major concern. Moreover, it has a huge impact on productivity.
A recent study funded by Harvard Business School showed that open office spaces with limited spatial boundaries decreased the volume of face-to-face interaction by approximately 70%. It’s having a significantly opposite impact compared to the intentions with which the plans were rolled out.
As per the study, the major concerns with an open plan office are lack of privacy, job dissatisfaction, as well as decreased productivity, transparency and face-to-face interaction.
Understanding the concerns of open plan offices, entrepreneurs should keep certain things in mind when looking for new spaces for their office, especially when they’re expanding their team.
