Open office floor concept

When I use to work in a former place, the management has the fancy idea (well it was fancy at that time) that open floor office is the way to go as there will be more collaboration and the staff would be feel more easy access to the higher management. On paper it all seems good and I had the opportunity to work in such an environment. At last it was weird to work with your colleagues with no barrier and it again became weirder when you see that you departmental head is sitting in front of you and there are no barriers in between. He/she watches your every movement and it makes you feel uncomfortable. Furthermore, you have to set your own boundaries regarding your stuff as with no known boundaries, your stuff can spill over to the other person doing some other job. The biggest complain about this open floor concept is that it is too haphazard and chaotic.

I don’t see any kind of collaboration that was mentioned as being advantageous to this concept as too much noise and constant invasion of your private space distract you from doing your task at hand. Even further if you are checking some documents or are preparing to write a report, there is no privacy or space where you can gather your thoughts to prepare an effective report. I don’t know if the saving of costs that is so much advertised in this concept regarding less office space is worth the resentment that brews underneath all the employees. Maybe it looks good to the senior management since it may or may not show up in their bottom line or hearing from their line managers that it is working fantastically but for the rank and file (and to I at least) it is just another dreamt up concept to generate a few extra dollars and some savings without caring about the input of their employees.