Steele, F. How organizational dynamics influence workplace design and management, in Making and Managing High-Quality Workplaces. New York:

Teachers College Press, 1986. pp. 20-29, 30-36.

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Q. What can be the behind theme that do not get discussed as openly when it is usually discussed by the closed-office advocates “privacy” issue?
A. The polarization between those who value high disclosure as a means of relating to one another, and those who believe that an organization must be operated mainly through carefully controlled disclosure and security. Another one is a split in terms of those people with high needs for physical status symbols and those with low needs or who believe that office layouts should not be used as rewards
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Question:

What are the fears and inhibitions that lurk in the

minds of the management executives that hold on to the

corporate facilities use and design, and stop them from

becoming more bendable and user-oriented?

Answer:

Most top-level management or senior management bestowed

with the decisions to control and change their

facilities are highly averse to bringing sweeping

changes to the structure of the facilities and the

organization that goes with it. This according to

Steele, maybe due to a variety of doubts that lurk in

the mind of those in control. For instance, if changes

are made, there is possible that chaos may occur due to

failure of communication, over-personalization, lack of

control over physical change in the office and so on.

All these factors then leads to a conflict with the

business goals of the organization.

Steele stresses here that it usually takes bold

decisions and steps to make these changes, but a well

thought out design and organization structure only

works proactively for the goals of the organization.

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Question:  What are the benefits of changing traffic patterns in terms of physical interventions?

Answers:  Most of the interactions that occur in the workplace are unplanned and spontaneous.  For this reason, open-plan offices are effective because people are not isolated in individual private offices where considerable effort must be made to interact with somebody.  A layout that has little boundaries and high visual access can be quite busy and maybe overstimulating at times but can also foster unplanned interactions.  Also along these lines, rerouting traffic can force people to "run into" each other that would not neccesarily interact.  Sometimes, making a "highway" that purposefully goes out of its way to reach a destination can be beneficial because small spontaneous interactions where somebody views some else's work or eyes meet and small discussion occurs can be healthy and productive.

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-Qustion: What are the major space design conflicts?

-Answer : Basic themes of Decoration such as

furniture item,colors,fabrics etc

Increasing or decreasing space

Closed-versus Open Plan layout

Location of an Organization

Assignment fo Offices and territories

Luxuriousness of Furnishings

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Q: Why does Steele find the Nested-Participation model to be the best

setting-management style?

A: It shows concern for conscious planning and action as well as takes into

account the diverse population of the organization, both hierarchically and

functionally, considering their different information, needs, problems, and

perceptions of their own and others' experiences.

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Q: Describe the Flux Model.

A: The model where the facility management is spread

throughout the organization so that there is more

encouragement for managers to use facilities as a tool

to help them achieve results. Therefore, there is less

control from the top, but also less direction setting

from the executive group. As a result, there is less of

an overarching theme for the designs and instead look

like independent subgroups.

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- Question: By Steel, F. which model is most promising

among the following five models

a. The Nobody's Problem/Everybody's Problem Model

b. The Key-Influentials Model

c. The Custodial Model

d. The Flux Model

e. The Nested-Participation Model

- Answer: e. The Nested-Participation Model

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Describe the nested-participation model

The nested-participation model is noted by Steele as the most promising management model as it reflects a concern for conscious planning and action and realizes that different levels within each organization have different problems and needs.  The strategy speaks to several issues: facility management goals, basic assumptions about the organization's appropriate physical shape and relationships with its environment, and quality of fit between users and settings.  Tasks groups are formed which cut across previously formed boundaries and collect data through surveys regarding the facilities needs, new ideas about solutions to existing problems, and performance reviews for managers.  The information is then analyzed and strategies are developed to make necessary changes or additions.  

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Question:
What are some of the heated arguments in the debate over closed- versus open-plan office layouts?

Answer:
        Many say that it is a "privacy" issue.  The privacy advocates can be split into two categories, though.  One group values disclosure as a way to relate to one another.  The other includes those who believe that organizations must maintain high secrecy and carefully controlled disclosure. 
        Another argument involves the issue of what the workplace means to the individual.  Is the space considered a physical status symbol used as a reward, or should it be designed based on the task needs and social needs?  This argument takes place between those described as "elitists" and those called "egalitarians" or "functionalists."

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Question: How does the nested participation model work as a facility management style?
Answer: It is an overall facility design/management process that has long term goals in areas such as: facility management goals,       types   of decisions that are possible and appropriate for different levels of the organization, and how the quality of fit between     settings and user groups can be monitored on a regular basis.

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Q: which one is the most ideal model among five models

in handling facilities management?

A: Nested participation model

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Q: Give one reason why a company’s management might be hesitant to allow

individuals, groups or teams to have a high level of control over their

physical workplace.

A: Management may fear that releasing control will result in a chaotic work

environment in which decision-making is difficult. (Other answers include

those mentioned in the reading.)

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Name the five corporate-settings management models, and

describe the one the author thinks is most effective.

The nobody's problem / everybody's problem model, the

key-influence model, the custodial model, the flux

model, and the nested participation model. The

nested-participation model is most effective, because it

reflects a concern for conscious planning and action,

rather then letting a big piece of organizational life

simply happen in a jerky, chance matter. It also takes

into account that people at different levels of the

hierarchy and in different functions have different

information, needs, problems, and perceptions of their

own and others' experiences. One of the crucial factors

that makes this process work is the identification and

inclusion of people who can serve it as resources.

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Question: In the office world there are several spacial issues that are taken into decision when redesigning the office. What are some of these office space issues and the two conflicting view points are for each?

Answer: The first spatial in the office today is the basic themes of decoration. What type of furnishing, decorations, artworks, finishes, and fabrics should be placed in the office? There two opposing sides of this issue are the “traditionalist” view, which prefers traditional single office spaces, desks, and high wall cubicles. The other view is that of the “modernist” who prefer workstations, unconventional furnishings, and open office layouts.

Another spatial issue is increasing or decreasing space. Should a company expand its facilities with its financial profit growth or it rearrange its present facilities to accommodate workers in the same space. One view on this issue expanding the size of the company is good and will generate company excitement while the other view is that rapid growth is very risky and should only be done when absolutely necessary and should be very planned out.

There is also the issue of what type of office plan should be installed in an office. The more traditional viewpoint prefers as “closed office plan” because it provides more privacy for workers, though this comes at the cost of flexibility and an amiable office environment. The opposing view supports “open-plan layouts” which are usually a more cost efficient usage of space. These plan are usually very social flexible, and conducive to teamwork, but at the cost of worker privacy.

There is also the issue of the assignment of offices and territories. The more traditional mangers believe that each worker should have an assignment office or territory for privacy and also a feeling of ownership. The more modern view point supports hoteling or letting workers chose where they want to work each day. The reason for this is because it is more conducive to teamwork and because as more people travel and work outside of the office (improvement in communications) assigning each worker a designated office is thought to be a waste of space.

And the list could go on…

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Question

In this chapter, basic decoration is described as a polarized issue, one that is debated within a single organization between two parties, namely the “traditionalists” and the “modernists.” In this description, one party wins and the other loses and “have to live in the middle of the symbols of their defeat.” Is there not a middle ground, where neither side wins or loses, but rather where they compromise?

Answer

I believe that this article conveys this issue too simplistically. It does not highlight the organization’s need to find a middle ground so that both parties involved in this debate or at least appeased somewhat. The reality is that a single organization does not have to make a decision between traditional desks or “workstations.” The difficult task of any facilities management department is perhaps to combine such concepts so that it may best meet the needs of all of the employees: No decision is as black and white as this article suggests it to be. By choosing a solution that lies somewhere in the grey area, the company meets the desires of both the “traditionalists” and the “modernists.” By looking at the extremes of each solution, they may find a happy middle ground that works best for the company. This middle ground helps to reduce the threat of conflict within the organization by addressing the concerns of both sides and establishes, indeed, the future of the organization, an organization of only “winners” and increased employee satisfaction.

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Q.  How are goals achieved in the “Nested-Participation” Model of facilities design and management?

A.  Volunteer task groups that cut across formal group boundaries, surveys that solicit input from all levels regarding space, management sessions related to facilities, and the inclusion of effectiveness of facilities management in managerial performance reviews.
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Question
Discuss two fears that executives may have when creating more levels of the working system.

Answer

The first fear that managers may have is the fear of chaos. They feel that because everyone does their “thing” in their own style whether filing papers or stacking papers that the office will become disorganized and that nothing will be able to relate to anything else as it is all done in a different style.

The second fear is large delays in decision making. Because people think differently they fear that these differences will cause delays in the decision making itself. They also fear that there will be delays while the workplace is getting designed and put together.

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Why does Fritz Steele believe that the Nested- Participation Model is the most effective of the five facilities design/management models?

He has this view because this model allows people at various levels in the hierarchy to have input in the layout and organization of their work setting. Also, it displays a planned approach to dealing with facilities design/management issues.

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Q: What can you lean about a company through the

organizational design of its workplace?

A: Everything from the layout to the materials of the

workplace can signal something about a company. The

value of hierarchy amongst employees can be seen if

there are certain space allocations allotted to

differing ranking workers. The most common example

would be managers having enclosed offices while

assistants have open work-stations. The cleanliness of

an office space can tell you the value a company has on

organization. Appearance is what projects the first

impression of someone, so if a company wants to be taken

seriously it will value the condition it's workplace is

kept in. Perhaps one of the most misleading factors

about a company are the materials that are used in its

workplace. One can assume an organization who furnishes

their offices with the finest materials available is a

pretty successful company, but in many instances a

company who is well off may choose not to be so lavish

and furnish themselves with the most affordable products

on the market. Then again that in itself can tell you

something about where company sets its values.

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Take one example of the five models that explain styles of handling

facility target.

Nobody's Problem/Everybody's Problem.

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Q: What aspects does cooperate-setting management

concern about?

A: Create and manage new physical workplace with a style

that fit organizations, a positive consequence, and

avoid a negative result from employees.

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Q: Of the different approaches to FM (Nobody's/

Everybody's Problem Model, Key Influentials Model,

Custodial Model, Flux Model, and Nested Model, which is

the best and why?

A: The Nested Participation Model is the best because it

reflects concern for conscious planning and action and

includes people as the organization's resources.

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