Subject: Redesign an Open-Space Office to Improve Productivity

Statement of the Need

Maya Denisof, the Director of Ocean Advertising, has asked the team to research and provide an informal reporthighlighting the pros and cons to shifting to an open-space office design.
Purpose of the Work

The purpose of our report is to:
? Analyze the triggers to pros and cons of an open-space office design
? Provide strategies to resolve the cons of open office plans

Scope of the Work

We will collect the related resources, analyze the benefits of new open office design, investigate availability and costing on the design plan, and provide evidence that the new open office concept will be a positive contribution to the company and employees.

Task Assignment and Schedule

Task Person Due by
Planning Adam, Marie, Menjie May 28
Preliminary research (1 hr each) Adam, Marie, Menjie May 30
Meet to produce outline levels Adam, Marie, Menjie May 30
Finalize outline Adam, Marie, Menjie June 1
Research the cons of open office layouts, provide recommendation Mengjie, Adam June 3
Research the pros of open office layouts and the cost associated Marie, Adam June 3
Research and provide solutions directly triggered by the cons Adam, Marie, Menjie June 3
Draft of introduction and body 1 Adam June 6
Draft of body 2 and 3 Mengjie June 6
Draft of conclusion and recommendations, visuals Marie June 8
Meet to review where we are at Adam, Marie, Menjie June 9
Revised edit of introduction and body 1 Adam June 13
Revised edit of body 2 and 3 Mengjie June 13
Revised edit of conclusion and recommendations Marie June 15
Sources list Adam June 15
Final revisions to be complete Marie, Mengjie, Adam June 16
Proof read, grammar, sentence structure check Marie June 18

Signatures: Adam, Mengjie, Marie
Sources and Methods of Data Collection
Secondary Sources
Journal articles, statistics, and academic journals will be used in our examination of our topic. We will use reliable online resources and articles in library.
? http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/05/17/why-the-open-office-fails-and-a-solution/
? http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/01/the-open-office-trap.html
? https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/cost-efficient-open-space-office-designs-ditching-desks-and-privacy/
? http://blog.eskill.com/open-offices-kill-productivity/
? http://blog.eskill.com/open-offices-kill-productivity/
? http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currency/2014/01/the-open-office-trap.html
? http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2014/02/25/study-open-offices-are-making-us-all-sick/
? http://qz.com/85400/moving-to-open-plan-offices-makes-employees-less-productive-less-happy-and-more-likely-to-get-sick/
? http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bc04df008d4705e4e77c2eb35&id=e304f113ff
? http://lifehacker.com/how-to-stay-productive-in-an-open-working-environment-1443536319
? http://www.avanta.co.uk/news/article/pros-and-cons-of-open-plan-office-space
? http://articles.markdeo.com/2009/04/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-open.asp
? http://lerablog.org/business/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-open-plan-office-spaces/
? http://strongproject.com/acoustic-office-furniture-sound-absorbing
? http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
? http://www.iida.org/resources/category/2/8/9/documents/0406alone.pdf
? http://smallbizbee.com/index/2011/11/15/open-office-spaces-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
? http://www.fastcompany.com/3021206/dialed/how-to-create-an-open-office-that-is-more-awesome-for-both-introverts-and-extroverts
?
Research Question
Although, there are down sides to open-space office concepts, do they offer advantages to the workplace? Are there avenues to minimize the drawbacks?
Preliminary Outline
Thesis
Although noise distractions and productivity drops contribute a negative factor in open-space offices, we will provide research that open-space offices provide a number of advantages within the workplace as well. We will establish specific strategies to reduce the negative impacts.

First Main Support for Thesis
I. Open-space office concepts offer advantages to the workplace.
A. Open office space design is praised for its ability to encourage collaboration.
1. Collaboration is critical to the innovation of many skills. Always working on creative solutions, and enhance the efficiency of the decision making process, and the sharing of knowledge with more quality, leading to better results.
2. Employees can share, collaborate, and bounce ideas off one another. It creates more of a team-centered environment where employees can engage their minds with colleagues. If someone has a question or thought, they can easily share with their neighbors. There are no divisions or physical separation of minds.

B. Open-space layout enhances communication between colleagues.
1. Open-space layouts encourage workers to share ideas with one another.
2. The setting would make co-workers available to help one another. That’s great for the help seeker.

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C. Open-space layouts have an aesthetically enhanced edge providing a favorable company image.
1. When clients step into open-space offices, they get a sense that the company is “with the times, innovative, and cutting-edge.”
2. Open-space offices tend to attract younger workers and fresher talent.
Second Main Support for Thesis
II. Open-space office concepts offer disadvantages to the workplace.
A. Employee would get frustrated with a lack of privacy.
1. Open-space office layout cause employees dissatisfaction in work environment.
2. Research showed that 62 percent of the best performers said their workspace was sufficiently private compared with only 19 percent of the worst performers.

B. Open office may reduce productivity.
1. Noise and distractions contribute to mental workload, cognitive stress, and fatigue.
2. An active and noisy environment cause employees difficulty in focussing.

Third Main Support for Thesis
III. We will provide strategies to eliminate negative factors of open-space offices.
A. We will provide private break-out meeting rooms for teamwork.
1. Private or confidential break out rooms provide adequate meeting rooms.
2. Employees can utilize these rooms for making personal phone calls.

B. We will try to use some special products for noise reduction.
1. Specialized soundproofing products can be purchased when transforming office space into an open layout.
2. Certain furniture configurations are available to provide more private type areas and assist in minimizing noise from travelling.

Detailed Research

Pros:
1. Allows Different Departments To Merge Together
A company can run far more competently if the staff is all working in the same room. It’s easier to delegate, discuss ideas and carry out tasks.
? “[They] allowed us to create for them a completely open-office facility — primarily for lawyers — that promotes interaction, collaboration and enhanced problem solving.” – Cost Efficient, Open-space Office Designs: Ditching Desks – and Privacy
? “It enhance collaboration and trust, break down hierarchical barriers, reduce emailing and formal meetings, help decisions get made more quickly, promote more physical movement during the day and ‘ultimately enable us to better serve our patients.’” – Cost Efficient, Open-space Office Designs: Ditching Desks – and Privacy

2. Cost Effective
Having an open plan setting will certainly cut unnecessary costs.. Electricity and heating bills will be cut due to the smaller space; lighting will be used less often due to it being lighter and more airy. It can also accommodate more employees.
? “The other way of looking at open-space design is that getting rid of cubicles and other kinds of fixed arrangements can save money: You can fit more people into a space by hoteling, having people work at home or ‘benching’” – Cost Efficient, Open-space Office Designs: Ditching Desks – and Privacy
Cons:
1. Can Be A Noisy Environment
Those who are easily distracted by noise and what’s going on around you may not perform well in an open plan office. If your office is a generally quiet environment.
? “Recent studies have shown that open offices can lead to lower productivity levels, more distractions, and frustrated workers.” – Do Open Offices Kill Productivity?
? “Another recent study in the journal Environment & Behavior concluded that noise and cognitive performance are negatively correlated, which means that the noise and distractions prevalent in open offices are diminishing worker performance.” – Do Open Offices Kill Productivity?

2. Lack Of Confidentiality
If you have clients or customers visiting the office and they need to discuss certain things they may not want everyone to be privy to the information
? “Researchers at the University of California found that more than half of office workers are dissatisfied with the low level of “speech privacy” in an open-plan work environment, making it “the leading complaint in offices everywhere.” – From Cubicles, Cry for Quiet Pierces Office Buzz

Draft Report:

Body 1 (Janet)

Open-space office concepts offer advantages to the workplace.
A. Open office space design is praised for its ability to encourage collaboration.
1. Collaboration is critical to the innovation of many skills. Always working on creative solutions, and enhance the efficiency of the decision making process, and the sharing of knowledge with more quality, leading to better results.
2. Employees can share, collaborate, and bounce ideas off one another. It creates more of a team-centered environment where employees can engage their minds with colleagues. If someone has a question or thought, they can easily share with their neighbors. There are no divisions or physical separation of minds.

Body 2 (Adam)

II. Open-space office concepts offer disadvantages to the workplace.
A. Employee would get frustrated with a lack of privacy.
1. Open-space office layout cause employees dissatisfaction in work environment.
2. Research showed that 62 percent of the best performers said their workspace was sufficiently private compared with only 19 percent of the worst performers.
B. Open office may reduce productivity.
1. Noise and distractions contribute to mental workload, cognitive stress, and fatigue.
2. An active and noisy environment cause employees difficulty in focussing.
3. Employee health is affected physically and mentally

Body 3 (Marie)

III. We will provide strategies to eliminate negative factors of open-space offices.

With this growing trend, more office solution companies are available to provide open office design solutions, specializing in acoustic specialty products to minimize or eliminate noise and distraction and also provide opportunity for privacy. Some strategic product solutions available include:

? Private break-out work areas
? Sound absorbing ceiling suspensions and wall panels
? Specialty furniture solutions

A. We will provide private break-out meeting rooms for teamwork.
1. Private or confidential break out rooms provide adequate meeting rooms.
2. Employees can utilize these rooms for making personal phone calls.

Soundproof break out rooms are normally considered in open office layout concepts to provide confidential meeting space. Some companies allow staff to utilize this accommodation for the use of personal phone calls or quiet working time. Alternatively, some office configurations allow for semi-private break-out work areas providing employees some reprieve from the closeness of their colleagues. Additionally, phone booth rooms are provided for employee use.

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B. We will research some special products to aid in noise reduction.
1. Specialized soundproofing products can be purchased when transforming office space into an open layout.
2. Certain furniture configurations are available to provide more private type areas and assist in minimizing noise from travelling.

Many companies are available to provide office design consultation offering an assortment of unique acoustic furniture products and designs. Sound absorbing furniture and panels are also available to assist in noise reduction.

Due to differences in employee personalities, the fact that not everyone works in the same capacity, or diversity of job tasks, variety is important to consider when planning an open layout office. The planning expertise will be the key to open office implementation success.

C. How to positively manage the change internally.
1. Clear advanced communication with employees
2. Employee inclusion of product selection and design ideas

A new age, innovative office may appeal to some; however, for many it can be very scary. Employee inclusion and communication strategies can assist to make the office design change easier on employees. This type of change, along with most, requires communication and involvement of the individuals it will affect.Trial and error office layout variations have demonstrated positive results in employee satisfaction. Providing the right office layout mixture and catering to employee needs and desires contribute to a more positive work environment and acceptance of this change.

Preliminary Research
Compared to closed configuration offices, open-space offices can encourage teamwork and collaboration among employees. According to recent research, open-space offices reduced the emailing and formal meetings. As employees can communicate face to face immediately, it helps decisions get made more quickly. Also, open-space offices help the company to give a positive impression to the customers and clients. “When clients step into a open office, they get a sense that the company is with the times, innovative and cutting-edge.” In addition, open-space offices entice the recruitment of younger talent.

However, the noise and distractions caused by open-space office would reduce productivity and work performance. Employees in open office may have difficulty to focus. “According to the International Management Facility Association, 7 in 10 US office workers have to contend with these distraction-rich environments.” Noise and visual distraction would contribute to mental workload, poor performance, stress and fatigue. In addition, lack of privacy would cause dissatisfaction among employees.

II. Open-space office concepts offer disadvantages to the workplace.
Write Introduction:
A. Employee would get frustrated with a lack of privacy.
Write Introduction:
1- Open-space office layout cause employee’s dissatisfaction in work environment.
2- Research showed that 62 percent of the best performers said their workspace was sufficiently private compared with only 19 percent of the worst performers.
Write Introduction for 1 and 2
——————————————————————————————————————

B. Open office may reduce productivity.

Write Introductions:

3- Noise and distractions contribute to mental workload, cognitive stress, and fatigue.

4- An active and noisy environment cause employees difficulty in focussing.

5- Employee health is affected physically and mentally

Write Introduction for 3,4,5
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