> The role of music at work is part of an unintentional arms race of sorts. Office workers embraced earbuds and noise-canceling headphones in large numbers as w

> The role of music at work is part of an unintentional arms race of sorts. Office workers embraced earbuds and noise-canceling headphones in large numbers as ways to cope with the lack of privacy that came with the open-floor plan. But using private music to restore some semblance of auditory personal space defeats the purpose of taking down cubicle walls Yeah... That is exactly the point! Because taking down the cubicle walls was the worst thing to happen to offices. Managers need to stop trying to get around the walls, real or otherwise, that people set up at work. They benefit no one productive.