If the higher-ups have their own offices, whereas the plebes are amassed in the sweatshop, it gives the former a sense of dominance. It increases testosterone production, which makes them feel better, stronger, more energetic.
It's very hard to change something in a place if it makes the decision-makers feel really good.
"Rational actors" my ass. We are all a bunch of chimpanzees.
Here at Instructure, nobody has offices. And no, the CEO does not just camp out in a conference room all day. He's normally at his desk, out in the open.
We have open desks all around a core of conference rooms and a whole bunch of small 1 and 2-person rooms where you can get peace and quiet if you need it. (And people use them a lot.)
I've been in all sorts of office layouts and they all have their problems. I'm not sure I'd prefer having a private office again, personally speaking.
"Rational actors" my ass. We are all a bunch of chimpanzees.
I think it's a little bit more nuanced than that. My guess is that people are mostly rational in many ways, but far less than totally rational in many ways. Some economists and social-science types refer to the term "bounded rationality".[1] I think that's about right.
If the higher-ups have their own offices, whereas the plebes are amassed in the sweatshop, it gives the former a sense of dominance. It increases testosterone production, which makes them feel better, stronger, more energetic.
It's very hard to change something in a place if it makes the decision-makers feel really good.
"Rational actors" my ass. We are all a bunch of chimpanzees.