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Companies Move Away From Cubicle Culture

Makarand writes "According to this Mercury News article companies are freeing employees from their cubicles to save on corporate real estate costs. By eliminating the need for offices for thousands of employees they are reducing their building needs by thousands of square feet. Employees now work in shared areas or from home or elsewhere outside the traditional cubicle. Those who prove to be unproductive when they have to share space with others risk getting fired. This trend is expected to accelerate as wireless technologies are making workers more mobile and capable of working from anywhere. About 13000 of Sun Microsystems' 35000 employees working in Santa Clara (CA) currently lack offices."

7 of 509 comments (clear)

  1. Re:First Post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Your mom's so big a cubicle would get lost in her ass.

  2. YOUR MOM GAVE ME CRABS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic
  3. You are thinking of the Roman Virtues... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    but it looks like you have thrown in a few vices. Decadence, btw, is not really a vice. It is the natural state of man when the impetus to survive is removed. A successful state provides for its people. After several generations of living without fear of death, decadence results.

    This was the theory until Amerika blossumed in the late 20th century. Somehow, its people have forgotten the rules of civilization in a mere 50 years. Some speculate that atomic weapons have created a perverse kind of decadence...

    Here are the Roman virtues:

    Personal Virtues

    These are the qualities of life to which every Citizen (and, ideally, everyone else) should aspire. They are the heart of the Via Romana -- the Roman Way -- and are thought to be those qualities which gave the Roman Republic the moral strength to conquer and civilize the world. Today, they are the rods against which we can measure our own behavior and character, and we can strive to better understand and practice them in our everyday lives.

    Auctoritas: "Spiritual Authority" The sense of one's social standing, built up through experience, Pietas, and Industria.

    Comitas: "Humor" Ease of manner, courtesy, openness, and friendliness.

    Clementia: "Mercy" Mildness and gentleness.

    Dignitas: "Dignity" A sense of self-worth, personal pride.

    Firmitas: "Tenacity" Strength of mind, the ability to stick to one's purpose.

    Frugalitas: "Frugalness" Economy and simplicity of style, without being miserly.

    Gravitas: "Gravity" A sense of the importance of the matter at hand, responsibility and earnestness.

    Honestas: "Respectibility" The image that one presents as a respectable member of society.

    Humanitas: "Humanity" Refinement, civilization, learning, and being cultured.

    Industria: "Industriousness" Hard work.

    Pietas: "Dutifulness" More than religious piety; a respect for the natural order socially, politically, and religiously. Includes the ideas of patriotism and devotion to others.

    Prudentia: "Prudence" Foresight, wisdom, and personal discretion.

    Salubritas: "Wholesomeness" Health and cleanliness.

    Severitas: "Sternness" Gravity, self-control.

    Veritas: "Truthfulness" Honesty in dealing with others.

    Public Virtues
    In addition to the private virtues which were aspired to by individuals, Roman culture also strived to uphold Virtues which were shared by all of society in common. Note that some of the virtues to which individuals were expected to aspire are also public virtues to be sought by society as a whole. These virtues were often expressed by minting them on coinage; in this way, their message would be shared by all the Classical world. In many cases, these Virtues were personified as deities.

    Abundantia: "Abundance, Plenty" The ideal of there being enough food and prosperity for all segments of society.

    Aequitas: "Equity" Fair dealing both within government and among the people.

    Bonus Eventus: "Good fortune" Rememberance of important positive events.

    Clementia: "Clemency" Mercy, shown to other nations.

    Concordia: "Concord" Harmony among the Roman people, and also between Rome and other nations.

    Felicitas: "Happiness, prosperity" A celebration of the best aspects of Roman society.

    Fides: "Confidence" Good faith in all commercial and governmental dealings.

    Fortuna: "Fortune" An acknowledgement of positive events.

    Genius: "Spirit of Rome" Acknowledgement of the combined spirit of Rome, and its people.

    Hilaritas: "Mirth, rejoicing" An expression of happy times.

    Iustitia: "Justice" As expressed by sensible laws and governance.

    Laetitia: "Joy, Gladness" The celebration of thanksgiving, often of the resolution of crisis.

    Liberalitas: "Liberality" Generous giving.

    Libertas: "Freedom" AVirtue which has been subsequently aspired to by all cultures.

    Nobilitas: "Noblility" Noble action within the public sphere.

    O

  4. Re:They SHOULD fire them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Someone mod this to Funny! This is hillarious!!!

  5. Re:Used to be one of them by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    I think the key here is that it does work for some, and doesn't for others. I would be less productive giving up my office for a communal space.

    Several years ago, my entire department abandoned the communal space idea (except for some few people working on a few features that benefited from it) in favor of 1 or 2 person offices. Our productivity is much better, and has been for several years.

    Something that management at the companies that are completely eliminating personal space based on short term studies need to remember is a study a couple years ago that almost ANY change in work environment will improve productivity, for a short time.

    Changes (small ones) in light level, ambient sound, wall color, and desk facing were shown to improve productivity, but within a few months it returned to prior levels.

    Fortunately, for the moment, management at my company is more reasonable (helps that we don't have an artificially interpereted productivity problem to begin with, I suppose)

    As an aside, I'm amused by the children spouting "good! fire them, more room for me!"

    I know I wouldn't want to work in an open office space, with no cover, knowing there were hundreds of disgruntled, anti-social nerds out there with nothing to do...nerds that had been fired from the job that I was doing... nosir, I wouldn't feel comfortable in that position at all... talk about Karma...

    --
    "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
  6. Re:If you don't work in the office .... by Alien54 · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    You don't expect the croporate overlords to be that forward-thinking, don't you???

    Exactly. I don't. In fact, I expect them to use this as a reason to work faster to get their "piece of the action"

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  7. Re:So they fire people by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I read the article

    Are you a troll, or just new here?