Open Work Office Vs Closed Work Office Spaces

Open Work Office Vs Closed Work Office Spaces 

Frankly speaking, the idea of comparing an open work office with closed work office spaces has remained a controversial issue and a puzzle to unravel. And it’s in the fact that when it comes to designing an office layout, it isn’t a case of one size fits it all. While many Fortune 500 companies preferred open workspaces, and several individuals are of the opinion that open workspaces are the right fit for an organization, yet, others argue that closed workspaces are the best office layout option for companies due to the benefits and merits attached to them. It is however imperative to note that both separate layout options are good, and are subject to a company’s mode of operation. That is, the type of business dealings a company is involved with would determine what type of layout would work best for them. Regardless of what layout a company opts for, however, either of them has its advantages as well as disadvantages. In this article, a comprehensive review of both layouts would be addressed. This piece will juxtapose the two options, by comparing and contrasting them while using each layout’s pros and cons as the basics for the debate. However, before delving into debating on both layouts, this piece will first address the two layout options separately, before moving on to debate and juxtapose them in order for you to have seamless navigation and an in-depth understanding of this article.  

What is an Open Work Office Space? 

An open work office space refers to a workplace office layout designed in an open-floor manner with employees’ desks and chairs enclosed in the same (most like large) room. In most cases, the management of a company or business owners themselves often opts for this option with the sole aim of fostering effective collaboration, teamwork spirit, organizational culture, face-to-face interaction, and accessibility amongst employees in the workplace. Although, some companies using open work office spaces may have separate enclosed rooms built for the conference and board meetings, nonetheless, the major working space of such companies are open floors without bricks and mortar, or wood dividing desks and tables into separate compartments. As briefly mentioned in the introductory part of this piece several Fortune 500 companies prefer the open work office layout, however, the reason for this preference could perhaps be because of the benefits attached to it. 

What is a Closed Office Space? 

Closed office space is a traditional office layout that divides an office floor into smaller compartments like enclosed private offices, cubicles, et cetera using bricks and mortar, screens or planks. Closed office space is majorly in practice in businesses dealing with confidential information. The likes of banks, law firms, insurance companies, et cetera are types of entities operating in such workplace setups. However, in spite of its popularity amongst specific businesses due to the mode of operations, several businesses whose operation does not require confidentiality are also opting for it because of the benefits attached to a closed office space setup. 

Open Office Spaces Vs Closed Office Spaces 

In this section, a comprehensive comparison and juxtaposition of the pros and cons of open office space and closed office space setups will be reviewed. As aforementioned earlier, each point raised would address the stance of the two layouts for you to have an easy understanding. However, keep in mind that the advantage or benefits of a layout would mostly likely be the disadvantage and downsides of the other layout.   

 

Pros of an Open Office Space / Cons of a Closed Office Space

Workplace Communication: An open work office space stimulates communication by making it easier and faster to disseminate information. For example, a manager working in an open office space doesn’t have to make a phone call in order to pass information across to their subordinate, all they need do is relay their message to their respective receiver, right in there, in one large space. On the other hand, a closed office space reduces the flow of easy communication in that communication cannot easily be passed without passing through certain processes which most times could be stressful for both the sender and the receiver. 

Monitoring and controlling: Another benefit of open office space is that it makes the monitoring and controlling duty of managers relatively easy since they can literally monitor and control every worker’s activities without having to pass through stress and fatiguing endeavours. Whereas a manager working in a closed office would relatively find it difficult to monitor and control the activities of their subordinate since they are confined in a separate space, as a result, employees would have free will whether or not to be productive since they are not being monitored closely.   

Costing: Maintaining an open office space is relatively cost-effective since all that it requires is just an open office floor with the necessary furniture and fittings. However, maintaining a closed office space could cost you a few bucks compared to an open office in that you would have to pay more to have a segment-designed office structure.  

Collaboration amongst employees: Since it’s an open floor, there is close proximity between employees, as such, employees can easily seek the opinion and input of other co-workers should they face any difficulty whilst discharging their duty, hence increasing collaboration in the workplace. On the other hand, a closed office space decreases collaboration as employees are not assembled in a single place, but rather, separately.      

Employee Relationship: Sometimes, a gist with a co-worker at the end of business hours can go a long way in improving interpersonal relationships between employees thus leading to a peaceful workplace environment. Whereas a closed office space relatively reduces interpersonal relationships in that because employees work in separate confinements, it would be relatively difficult to develop interpersonal relationships. 

Teamwork and oneness: An open office space helps to build and foster team spirit and oneness amongst employees since they work within single confinement. Although, closed office space does not completely oust teamwork and oneness, nonetheless, it does not stimulate it as compared to an open workspace.  

 Morale in employees: According to psychologists, solitude most times acts as one of the factors that reduce morale within the workplace, however, with an open office space setup, employees have the avenue to interact with one another which helps boost morale and by extension, charge employees to work. On the other hand, employees working in closed office spaces may suffer solitude, depression, and liveliness since they are more prone to loneliness. 

Cons of  An Open Office Space / Pros of A Closed Office Space

Distraction/Concentration: Research shows that workers working in an open office space lose 86 minutes of their time in a single day. This idea is not far-fetched in that open office space tends to increase distraction due to several actions and conversations flying back and forth within single confinement. However, a closed office space lets employees focus, concentrate and discharge their daily duties in a timely manner since they are not prone to distraction.   

Noise pollution/Quietness: Just as aforementioned, activities, including a series of conversations amongst employees in an open office space, increase noise pollution. Whereas, a closed office space shuns noise pollution, hence, giving employees an ample chance to be more creative whilst at work. 

Productivity: On the off chance that employees working in an open space office lose 86 minutes of their working hours to distractions, the accumulation of those distracting moments in a month would have a negative effect on the output of such an affected organization, thus, creating unproductive employees and drastically reducing overall organization turnover. However, a closed office space increases productivity in that it entertains low forms of external distraction except for internal ones which are usually characterized by employees’ mood swings.   

Health: A publication released by the National Library of Medicine, indicates that employees working in an open space take 62% more sick leave compared to colleagues working in an enclosed workplace in that they are vulnerable to germs and easily transferable diseases. However, a closed office space reduces employees’ exposure to germs and other easily transmittable diseases.  

Privacy: For an open space office setup, individual employees have no privacy since they are all assembled in a single space, hence, it shuns the avenue of subordinates who have a private matter they are willing to share with their superior or close partners (as the case may be) for advice. On the other hand, however, a closed office space embraces privacy and gives avenues for private discussions. 

 

Conclusion

Finally, office layout is an integral aspect in forming or establishing a business, as such entrepreneurs and business owners should consider setup critically before deciding what’s best for their businesses. Nonetheless, with a detailed review of both setups in this piece, I hope it would help you make a rational decision when such a need arises either as an employer wanting to set up their office space or as an employee wanting to choose between two companies with both setups.