The physical environment of office work: Future open plan offices

Abstract

Different configurations of the physical environment of office work are rapidly changing the way office workers behave and perform at work. In particular, organisations today are progressively accommodating their employees in open plan offices (OPOs). In this article, we focus on the OPO and discuss its future and implications for research and practice. Specifically, we build on recent advances in the field to propose that new OPO configurations will require new forms of work behaviour involving new processes and practices, and new research approaches. In addition, we discuss possible areas of work that OPO environments of the future might affect; for example, work design, interpersonal processes, noise and distractions, human resource management (HRM) practices and leadership. Along these lines, we suggest future research directions and make recommendations to navigate the intersection of organisational behaviour (OB) and OPO research and practice. JEL Classification: M19.