Workspace satisfaction: The privacy-communication trade-off in open-plan offices

What the study found

Noise and loss of privacy were major sources of dissatisfaction, and perceived communication benefits did not offset them in more open layouts.

Limitations

Self-report outcomes; cross-sectional design; workplace selection effects.

Neurodesign interpretation

The study challenges the idea that removing walls creates a net social benefit. Communication gains and privacy costs do not sit on the same psychological scale.

Possible design implications

Treat visual and acoustic privacy as primary office-performance infrastructure.

Why it stays in the corpus

Retain as the key privacy-communication trade-off evidence.

Study design

Cross-sectional analysis of CBE occupant survey database

Population

Large office-occupant survey sample

Setting

Real offices

Field

Workplace design

Mechanism

Privacy loss, communication, environmental satisfaction

Spatial variable

Degree of enclosure

Keywords

privacy, communication, open plan, satisfaction