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In the various discussions I've seen about open offices on Hacker News and elsewhere, I don't recall ever seeing a post from management explaining why they've i

In the various discussions I've seen about open offices on Hacker News and elsewhere, I don't recall ever seeing a post from management explaining why they've implemented open offices despite these complaints. I'm I just mistaken about their collective silence? Or if not, does their silence imply some kind of ulterior motive?

asdff 8y ago
More people per square foot = cheaper lease.
- menckenjr 8y ago
  It sounds a lot like those misbegotten standing airline seats (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat/index.html https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat...) and it's another example of what happens when bean counters get control of things.
Kadin 8y ago
That's obvious: it's cheap. I've participated in office buildouts and seen architectural sketches of cubes vs. "open plan" tables. You can put a lot more people into the same area when you are just giving everyone a table. Higher density means less square footage which means lower rent. QED.
maxxxxx 8y ago
In my company the managers I have talked to about this (they have private offices with windows) seemed to be thinking that the people who complain are just whiners. In addition these decisions get made pretty far up in the hierarchy so most likely the people who make the decision never have to work in that environment. For example in my company facilities makes the decisions but they have a nice team room with windows for everyone. So in short I believe that decisions about workspaces almost never that made by the prople who have to work there. And when you get to the level of people who can shape their workspace like CEO and VP you rarely see open office as the choice but usually private office with window.
- madcaptenor 8y ago
  One way I like hearing it put is that the people making the decisions probably make sure their kids have a quiet place to do their homework.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    And fast food execs don't allow their kids to eat fast food :-)
organsnyder 8y ago
Square footage is an easily quantifiable cost. Knowledge worker productivity and well-being are harder to objectively measure. It's much easier for management to make (and defend!) decisions based on metrics that can be displayed on dashboards.

asdff 8y ago

More people per square foot = cheaper lease.

menckenjr 8y ago
It sounds a lot like those misbegotten standing airline seats (https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat/index.html https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/standing-up-airplane-seat...) and it's another example of what happens when bean counters get control of things.

Kadin 8y ago

That's obvious: it's cheap. I've participated in office buildouts and seen architectural sketches of cubes vs. "open plan" tables. You can put a lot more people into the same area when you are just giving everyone a table. Higher density means less square footage which means lower rent. QED.

maxxxxx 8y ago

In my company the managers I have talked to about this (they have private offices with windows) seemed to be thinking that the people who complain are just whiners. In addition these decisions get made pretty far up in the hierarchy so most likely the people who make the decision never have to work in that environment. For example in my company facilities makes the decisions but they have a nice team room with windows for everyone. So in short I believe that decisions about workspaces almost never that made by the prople who have to work there. And when you get to the level of people who can shape their workspace like CEO and VP you rarely see open office as the choice but usually private office with window.

madcaptenor 8y ago
One way I like hearing it put is that the people making the decisions probably make sure their kids have a quiet place to do their homework.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  And fast food execs don't allow their kids to eat fast food :-)

organsnyder 8y ago

Square footage is an easily quantifiable cost. Knowledge worker productivity and well-being are harder to objectively measure. It's much easier for management to make (and defend!) decisions based on metrics that can be displayed on dashboards.