| Abstract | Open-plan offices became popular in the 1970's because they were believed to lead to improved communication and productivity. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many employees find some aspects of open-plan offices to be unsatisfactory. A literature review was completed in an attempt to clarify the relationship between the effects of open-plan office furniture design features and layout on ratings of environmental satisfaction. A search of the literature from 1975 to 2002 in over 20 major databases resulted in very little directly relevant material. Therefore, the indirect findings from sources that included environmental satisfaction measures and examined furniture aspects of enclosed private offices and bull-pen layouts, and studies comparing enclosed or bull-pen layout to open-plan office environments were also included in the review. Studies directly related to density, noise, temperature, ventilation, and lighting conditions were excluded because other COPE project reports address these topics specifically.Features of furniture design and layout affect occupants by addressing their physical and task needs, privacy needs, and need for recognition. The degree of fulfilment of these needs influences environmental satisfaction. |
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