Tauranga office workers say new-style open-plan office layouts are preferable to the closed room offices commonly built in the past.
A new study, conducted by the University of Sydney and published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, found the much-touted advantages of open-plan offices were outweighed by disadvantages such as noise, lack of privacy and lack of space.
However, many Tauranga office workers have voiced their support for the open-plan layouts.
The lawyers at Holland Beckett have been working in an open-plan setting for five years and were generally happy with the arrangement, practice manager Sharline Fitzgerald said.
The open-plan office allowed better delegation and supervision, facilitated "learning by osmosis", and reduced bad behaviour and time wasting as there was always a senior person visible, she said.