Open office controversy

The Open Plan study by Dr VG Oommen "doesn’t reflect changes in the modern workplace." This according to a press release from workplace design firm DEGW. "Open plan versus enclosed offices debate is old news," their press release says.

Oommen reviewed previous studies on the health effects of working in an open plan office, and concluded that the switch to open-plan workplaces causes incresed stress and lower productivity.

More from DEGW:

There is a distinct lack of research in the public realm on the analysis and design of workspaces and their effects on productivity, which makes it difficult to draw accurate conclusions through literature reviews.

DEGW's own literature-based research identifies that published research in the area of workplace design is almost entirely focused on easily quantifiable aspects relating to individual comfort, such as indoor air quality, light levels, noise levels, energy use and cost. While important, these aspects are only part of the impact workplace design has upon organisational effectiveness.

In contrast, little research has been published on the impact of the workspace on overall organisational performance. Despite being more influential, aspects such as the workplace's ability to enable effective communication, support knowledge sharing, foster the desired organisational culture and encourage rapid learning are much more difficult to measure.
Thus, published research to date is naturally skewed towards issues such as noise control and cost comparisons, whereas real engagement with organisations that use their workspace as a strategic tool reveals the powerful impacts workspace design can achieve.