Also, doesn't Google have open floor plans? They have good-sized cubicles, but the walls are very low IIRC. You'd think Google would be all about maximizing programmer productivity. Ironically, only at Microsoft did devs get a nice office with a thick wood door.
I think that focus requirements for a trader or a banker are different than for a programmer. I.e. there's less need for stretches of uninterrupted deep focused thinking.
Google has both offices and cubes arranged around collaborative groups of 4-6 workers. It's not an open floor plan, but it's not individual cubes either.
Also, doesn't Google have open floor plans? They have good-sized cubicles, but the walls are very low IIRC. You'd think Google would be all about maximizing programmer productivity. Ironically, only at Microsoft did devs get a nice office with a thick wood door.