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Speaker 1
0:00
In part four, you will hear a part of a talk about recent research into the design of
workplaces. First, you have some time to look at questions 31 to 40?
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Speaker 1
1:05
Now listen carefully and answer questions 31 to 40.
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Speaker 2
1:13
How Hello everyone. I recently completed some important research into the way office
space is designed and its impact on employees. The open plan office had been the
norm for offices around the world, I'm sure you can picture one, a big room with maybe
50 or 100 workers sitting at their workstations. You might think open plan designs are a
recent phenomenon. But they actually came about in the early 20th century, when
businesses needed large numbers of people to do typing. These employees usually
women used to have to sit in rows working away at their typewriters under the watchful
eye of their supervisor. Over the years, designers have come up with several variations
on the open theme. In particular, this has been achieved through furnishings. The early
designs featured separate desks, as subsequent design introduced the concept of the
cubicle. These can have either high screens that workers can't see over, or a screen
just low enough to keep a lookout for the manager. And nowadays, with the increase in
large call centers, a phenomenon known as hot desking is common. In this system,
employees working on different shifts are asked to share the same workstation. As you
can imagine, this is not very popular with staff is there is little opportunity to personalize
your workspace.
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Speaker 2
2:54

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In fact, my research shows that employees in general dislike the open plan design. As a
part of my research, I conducted a survey of the staff in several large companies with
open plan offices. The employees all voiced similar concerns about the design. Firstly,
they felt that the open plan took away their privacy, but many also felt the need to carry
their valuables with the middle times. So to some extent, they also felt there was less
security with these designs. Another common complaint may be something for
employers to consider when choosing this type of design. And this was the these types
of office space are bad for the health. I was intrigued by this possibility. But looking at
staff records, it does seem to be borne out. So if this design is so unpopular, why is it so
commonplace? Well, the answer to that is in the benefits that the employers feel this
type of design has. Of course, there is the obvious benefit that this design significantly
reduces costs, both in terms of rent, and even in terms of energy use. Employers also
argue that an open plan design leads to better teamwork and communication. They also
feel that new staff can learn from observing other workers. So this design can actually
help in training staff. However, the complaints voiced by employees seem to suggest
that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. The reality is that unhappy workers
are unlikely to work well together. And there is plenty of evidence to suggest workers
are frequently distracted from their work by the noise that is all around them. What is
clear is that as designers, we need to think carefully about the impact that our design
has both on the staff involved and the work that they do.
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Speaker 1
5:03
That is the end of Part Four. You now have one minute to check your answers to part
four.
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Speaker 3
6:10
That is the end of the listening test. You now have 10 Minutes to Transfer your answers
to the listening answer sheet

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14:19
You have two minutes Left

15:20
You have one minute left?
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Speaker 3
16:22
Please stop writing and wait for your question booklet to be collected

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