Open Offices Engender Collaborative, Transparent Workplaces

Open workspace designs have clear environmental benefits stemming from easier access to daylighting and more efficient use of space. A survey of more than 200 organizations recently conducted by financial services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and Ethisphere Institute, a business ethics think tank, found that open workspaces are increasingly common: 60% of companies surveyed reported maintaining open offices. Of those companies, 74% do so for 80% of employees, and 38% have transitioned to open offices in the last five years. The survey also revealed the perception that open offices reduce ethics violations, with 60% of respondents reporting that they believe open workspaces encourage ethical workplace behavior. In the survey, 64% of companies with open offices reported no visible ethics violations in the last two years.