An office can be used by one worker or by several.
From the Latin officina , an office is the premises intended for some work . It can have different forms of organization and distribution of space according to the number of workers and their function.
There are offices or offices occupied by a single worker (generally, a director, manager or even the owner of the company ). Other offices are shared by many people; If it is a large site, each worker will have their own space. On the other hand, if the office is small, it is likely that several workers will share large tables.
Spatial organization of an office
Each office space organization has its advantages and disadvantages. When each worker has their own space, comfort is improved (and therefore motivation and productivity) and conversations between workers are reduced, avoiding wasted time . On the negative side, when workers are isolated, they are likely to disperse more easily and, instead of working, engage in Internet surfing or other leisure activities.
In offices where there is less space and distance between employees , there is usually a more bustling atmosphere and less concentration. However, managers will be able to control workers more easily without having to travel.
There are office buildings where, instead of apartments for housing, all available structures are used for office installations. These buildings are very common in the commercial and administrative centers of large cities.
Offices are work spaces.
Different provisions
There is no universal layout for offices, although it is true that many follow a general line of design. Ideally, each company organizes this aspect according to several issues. For example, a factor that makes a big difference is the existence or not of groups within the office; If some of the employees must work together with others, the space must be divided in a particular way.
In companies that are dedicated to software development , it is very common to organize offices into "islands", groups of desks that are located together so that employees can be close to their teammates and their supervisor. This entails a series of decisions that affect the navigation of the space, since joining so many tables and chairs reduces the number of possible corridors, requires a greater number of cables and outlets in the same area and can increase the noise during moments of distraction.
In companies or departments where work is individual, these problems do not exist, although it is also necessary to think about grouping employees to optimize their communication and the supervision of their performance. The office should be thought of in a similar way to the classroom: although the workers are adults, they also tend to lose motivation and disperse, as happens to children at school, which is why control by a supervisory figure is always necessary. greater authority. To make your task easier, it is advisable to orient the desks so that performance gaps can be detected at a glance.
Influence of the office on job performance
The colors, shapes and number of elements present in an office are also very important for employee performance and, therefore, for overall performance. It is necessary to create a pleasant work environment but without encouraging leisure, while at the same time not reaching a level of seriousness that gives rise to depression.
Bright colors help, as well as geometric shapes that generate a certain movement. Natural lighting is another essential aspect for the physical and mental health of workers.