For several years now, the term "open-plan office" has been gaining ground in the working world, with more and more companies adopting the Silicon Valley business model in the US.
Companies based there, such as Google, Yahoo, Apple, etc., are considered the innovative pioneers of our time, which means that more and more smaller companies and start-ups are following their example—the demand for open working environments is booming. The aim is to move away from the conservative idea of individual performance – the focus is on WE. Every company is only as strong as the power of the community and of collective action and thinking. The solution seems to have been found, as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former Senior Vice President of Products Jonathan Rosenberg describe in their book "How Google Works." You have to bring your employees and "creative minds" together. "The mixture that emerges is explosive," they explain. Every wall, every door, and every corridor seems to be an obstacle to the flow of ideas and communication, standing in the way of great success. This is leading to a restructuring of the working world that was unthinkable just a few years ago. The typical single or double office situation is giving way to huge open spaces, often supported by just a few columns. In some cases, seating structures and individual workstations are even being completely eliminated. Whereas in the past, the size of one's office was considered a kind of status symbol, today even the top executive suites are often separated only by thin glass walls.
Nevertheless, the principle that every system has its flaws seems to apply here as well. Studies such as those conducted by Harvard Business School (HBS) suggest that these ideas do not necessarily have a positive effect on the working atmosphere and lead to better forms of collaboration. The experiment compared two different types of offices, both of which were converted into open-plan offices. The study showed that not only did personal interaction between employees decline by up to 70%, but the number of emails sent also increased by 20% to 50%. This result seems surprising and contradictory at first, but there is an explanation for such reactions, according to industrial psychologist Bernhard Zimolog in an interview with the magazine "Die Zeit." "It is a natural need to withdraw from time to time – and this desire is encouraged by open office structures." "Even though open-plan offices encourage communication, they also increase the desire to withdraw. We need to be clear about that."
It is clear that open-plan offices offer a number of advantages in terms of transparency and communication, which can make collaboration much smoother. However, individuals must also be given the option of privacy and quiet. Every company should therefore be keen to give its employees opportunities to retreat and realize their full potential without being lost in the anonymity of the crowd.
