None of the research has been about open programming environments. The article quotes two studies that did not study open programming environments, and the rest is opinion and speculation, albeit from some respected people.
So when they say "If you are just getting into some work and a phone goes off in the back ground it ruins what you are concentrating on" they are talking about a room full of people who answer phones as part of their business.
My most successful project was done in an "open" office, with the five programmers' desks arranged in a circle, facing out. We could all concentrate when required, but we could communicate immediately when there was a problem. Sometimes an interruption was annoying. Most of the time the communication paid of hugely. I think programmers are good at judging when to bug another programmer. That said, we had an awesome team.
In my experience, a bunch of programmers in offices is a great way to get lots of the wrong thing done. It may be because when I've been in this situation, the team was not as experiences as the team above. Or it may be that offices kill communication, discourage bouncing ideas around, and encourage "going dark".
When I hear of open offices that didn't work, there's usually more shit policy coming down from management and being imposed than just the open office.
That's the most important thing: What does the team want?
So when they say "If you are just getting into some work and a phone goes off in the back ground it ruins what you are concentrating on" they are talking about a room full of people who answer phones as part of their business.
My most successful project was done in an "open" office, with the five programmers' desks arranged in a circle, facing out. We could all concentrate when required, but we could communicate immediately when there was a problem. Sometimes an interruption was annoying. Most of the time the communication paid of hugely. I think programmers are good at judging when to bug another programmer. That said, we had an awesome team.
In my experience, a bunch of programmers in offices is a great way to get lots of the wrong thing done. It may be because when I've been in this situation, the team was not as experiences as the team above. Or it may be that offices kill communication, discourage bouncing ideas around, and encourage "going dark".
When I hear of open offices that didn't work, there's usually more shit policy coming down from management and being imposed than just the open office.
That's the most important thing: What does the team want?