Workers More Honest When Someone is Watching

Open-plan office layouts are popular these days, with fewer individual offices and more emphasis on environments that encourage collaboration. Experts tout benefits like employee retention and better use of space, but there also is evidence that people who work in open spaces act more ethically. A survey from the Ethisphere Institute and Jones Lang LaSalle makes the case, based in part on the impressions of executives. Says one respondent: “Having open office space clearly makes it more difficult for someone to commit unethical acts…We simply no longer get these kinds of complaints.” Says another: “Culturally, our company would die [...] if we had a closed office environment.” The survey also sheds light on telecommuting practices. More than 200 professionals from a wide range of industries took part in the research. The Ethisphere Institute is a think-tank specializing in corporate ethics, and Jones Lang LaSalle is a professional services firm specializing in real estate services. To access the survey, click here.