THE OFFICE

Specific objectives

By the end of the topic the trainee should be able to

. Explain the meaning of an office

. Discuss the functions of an office e

. Discuss the various types of office layouts

. Describe the features of a modern office

MEANING OF AN OFFICE
Any place set aside, either a building or a room, used for clerical,
administrative or communicative work. It serves as an administrative
centre where departmental offices are located. It is serves as a
communication centre as it provides communication and clerical
services

The efficiency of an office should be judged by the degree of

promptness in supplying correct information. The information dealt
with by an office will be on accounts, orders, prices, complaints,
personal matters, etc.

It will go to the credit of the manager, if his office gives out needed
information at a moment’s notice. The act of collecting, processing,
storing and distributing information comprises functions of the
office.
FUNCTIONS OF AN OFFICE TYPES OF OFFICE LAYOUTS

When a management decides to establish an office, it has to

carefully define its plan for systematic and scientific
segmentation of various departments and equipment for the
office.

The reason is that the systematic arrangement of office

equipment leads to availing of maximum benefit from the
space available. The office layout is based on the principle of
division of labour. If the principle of division of labour is
applied, every job of an office can be divided into many
sections. All the sections may not be possible to
accommodate in one room or on the same floor. Hence, office
layout ensures full utilization of office space and the
efficiency of operation is high.

Meaning of Office Layout

Office layout means the systematic arrangement of office

equipment, machines and furniture and providing adequate
space to office personnel for regular performance of work
with efficiency.

Therefore, the main task of office manager is the proper

allocation of space to each section by considering the
interlinking of other sections, so that the activities of
different sections can be coordinated and controlled easily.
Faulty or improper arrangement of furniture, equipment and
space for employees leads to unnecessary wastage of time
and energy and increase in the cost of office operations.

Objectives of Office Layout

1. Effective utilization of available floor space and smooth
flow of work.

2. Both power and telephone service is made available

whenever necessary.

3. Office supervision is made more easy and convenient.

4. Good working conditions should be provided to each

employee

5. The reception room should be very near to the main gate

or entrance so that the visitors may feel easy and convenient.
Modern business is complex. A business organization today is
faced with the ever- changing conditions. The present decade
is the decade of change and challenge. With the
developments and advances in the field of science and
technology, the manufacturing techniques have undergone a
rapid change.

The ever-widening markets also pose a challenge by

themselves. All the problems can be satisfactorily tackled
only when adequate information is available. Thus man’s
greatest tool today is information. To identify new markets,
to design new products, to make decisions, to keep people
informed and to keep abreast of knowledge, requires
information.

It is not only man’s greatest tool, but it is also one of the

greatest needs. Information is required by all members of
enterprise and one of the problems in its management is to
determine the nature of the information required, by whom,
and in what form.
Information is to help; it should assist its recipient in
performing his assigned job. In short, the acts of controlling,
processing, storing, striving and distributing information
comprise the function of the office.

The functions of a modern office can be divided into the

following categories; and they are:

i. Basic or routine functions.

1. To receive or collect information:

The primary function of the office is to receive information

from the various departments of the organization or from
outside through enquiries, reports, orders, circulars,
complaints, messages etc. If the information received is not
complete, the office tries to collect information by sending
out enquiries of clarifications.

There may be different types of meeting within or outside the

organization and pieces of information will be helpful to the
management and therefore the office has to collect it.

2. To prepare records of information:

Information is usually received in the form of letters,

enquiries, phone calls etc. and this information has to be
converted into other forms, which can easily be followed by
the management. These are orders, quotations, price-lists,
replies to enquiries and complaints, account books, etc.,
within the organization. All these records will be retained for
further reference.
According to the nature of the information, the record may
be retained for many years or they may be safely kept for a
few years, after which they can be destroyed. The records of
information prepared in the office must be preserved safely,
made available to the management within no time and must
be easy to understand.

These records maintained by the office will be reference for

further dealings. Moreover, every business has to keep up-
to-date books of accounts which are required to record all
business transactions.

The books like cash-book, purchase book, sales-book, goods

returns book, productive expense and other ledgers are to be
kept by every office. Besides the account-books, other books
will have to be maintained by the office in order to have a
smooth function of the organization.

3. To process and arrange information:

The information received by the office may be lengthy and

the same in its original form may not be much useful to the
management. Therefore, after collecting such information, it
will be processed, categorized, arranged and systematically
kept for readymade information.

Certain letters will have to be converted into charts,

statements etc. by doing calculations or analysis over such
information. For instance, orders have been received every
day and complied. The orders themselves will not serve any
purpose to the departmental head because the orders may be
in the form of letters.
Therefore, it will be most useful to the Sales Manager, if these
have been shown in a compact form, say sales week wise.
This can be done through charts, statements etc. Then the
sales manager is at ease to understand the position of the
sales by looking at the statements or charts and come to a
decision within no time.

Thus it is possible for all the departments or the

management to understand the position easily and quickly
and come to certain conclusion. If the information is not
properly analysed or arranged, much time will have to be
spent.

An efficient office supplies readymade information to

departments or managers who take proper decisions on the
basis of such information supplied. Therefore, a good office is
the foundation of a business organization.

4. To supply readymade information to the authorities:

An office is a machine which receives raw materials

(scattered information) and produces various items through
processes (compiled and tillable). The office receives
information through letters, phones, meetings, complaints,
business transactions, etc.

These pieces of information are further recorded in proper

books processed and thus converted into charts, graphs,
statements, and diagrams etc. which show the complete
picture of one type of dealings. The processed information is
ready made information and is easy to understand at a
glance.
Usually, the office supplies information relating to estimates,
statements of accounts, progress report, book debts, sales,
castings etc.

The information kept by the office must be complete and

accurate and supplied to the authorities as and when
required, without wasting time. If the supply of information
is also kept in such place where it is easily visible and
available at any time, it is a great advantage.

ii. Administrative and Management Functions:

1. Management function:

The most important administrative functions of the manager

include planning, organizing, staffing, directing,
communicating, controlling, co¬ordinating and motivating.
The office manager must organize the office on modern lines
for the efficient and effective performance.

2. Development of office systems and procedures:

All the jobs in the office are interrelated and interdependent.

As such an office must provide better services to interrelated
departments. For a smooth flow of work, development of
office system and procedures is essential.

3. Form designing and control:

Forms are the basic tools for all types of office work. There
are many operations which can be systematized with the use
of printed forms. Besides, the use of the forms saves time and
energy at every operation. Information can be collected,
recorded or processed systematically and effectively with the
help of office forms. Therefore, it is the task of the
management to design and to control the forms.

4. Selection and purchase of office appliances:

The office manager must purchase the appropriate machines,

equipment or furniture for the office. Office work requires
adequate equipment, machines and furniture and they must
be maintained properly for the efficient working order.
Appliances must be selected for full and proper uses.

They must be suitable for the purpose. They must be simple

in operation and maintenance. They must be flexible and
adaptable to different uses. The cost and benefit must be
compared when the appliances are purchased.

5. Personnel functions:

The personnel function is performed by the personnel

department. It is assisted by the office. It recruits and selects
the personnel. It places them in different jobs in the office.
For the efficient performance of the basic functions of the
office, provision of adequate and trained staff is necessary.
The staff must get reasonable salary. Staff must be properly
motivated to achieve the best performance.

6. Controlling office costs:

Office costs may be controlled by using machines in the
office, using labour-saving devices and adopting improved
methods of management.

7. Maintenance of records:

This is a secondary function of an office. Copies of all the

correspondence must be retained for further reference.
From a business firm, a number of letters go out daily and a
number of replies are received, and if the copies of the
original letters against which the replies have been received,
are not available, the decision cannot be taken wisely.

Therefore all the records must be maintained through

proper filing system and preserved for number of years.
Certain documents need not be kept for more than a year
while certain documents have to be kept for a number of
years.

8. Planning schemes and policies:

In the present stage, production is always in anticipation of

demand. Therefore for a manufacturing concern, it has
become essential to plan the activities of the concern for the
future period.

One cannot take a decision or plan unless one goes into the
previous records and relevant statistical data, studies the
present market trends, and takes decisions on basis of all
information of the past period.

When a proper plan has been chalked out, it will be adopted

as a policy. Planning and policies will be good, when they
have been drawn out carefully with the help of the office,
through collecting and processing information.
9. Safeguarding the assets:

The job of an office is not only extended from the receipt of

information to the supply of processed information, but also
to take care of various assets. To keep the record of
customers (debtors) and keep the management to be
informed of about the doubtful debts so that necessary steps
may be taken to prevent the occurrence of bad debts.

Books of accounts of all types (personal, real and nominal)

are to be kept regularly. Among them the most important are
fixed assets plant, machinery, fixtures, buildings and current
assets goods, stationery, debtors, bills receivable, cash in
hand, cash at bank, etc.

All these are the properties of the concern and the office
must arrange to protect and safeguard the assets against
destruction, damage, loss by theft, fire etc. The management
must be informed of all types of misappropriation matters so
that its occurrence will be prevented in future through
investigations.

10. Public relations:

Public relations signify the relations of a business

organization with the general public, usually through the
distribution of information. Public relations guide business
enterprise. Public relations are guided by public opinions.

The functions of Public Relations are:

(a) To inform managers of the current status and the changes
in the opinions of public. The public can be divided into two-
internal and external. The internal public is key policy
makers, supervisory personnel; employees and
shareholders. The external publics are customers, suppliers
and the general public.

(b) To suggest purposeful relations with the public and to

warn unfavourable reactions.

(c) To communicate to the public the company’s policies and

actions. Public interest is an essential element for any good
public relations. Office is the eyes and ears of a business. It is
the hand which makes friends for a company.

6. A sense of belonging and loyalty should be made in the

minds of office employees.

7. Employee’s satisfaction should be the outcome of proper

office layout.

8. There should be a free flow of communication among

employees.

9. All the sections cannot work independently. Hence, the

office layout ensues the interlinking of each sections
according to their needs.

10. There must be an adequate space between desks, tables

and chairs for free movement of employees.
11. Noise and disturbing operations should be segregated
within the office.

12. Some sections require privacy. The sections may be

interview section and inquiry section. Interview section is
dealing with recruitment of staff and inquiry section is
dealing with progress and performance of the existing staff.

13. Frequent mutual consultation and interference between

clerks should be avoided.

14. The room of the manager should be arranged in such a

manner that he can easily observe the activities of staff for
exercising control on them.

15. The external noise and disturbance should be avoided by

fixing double glazed windows and doors.

16. Changes may be made in the office layout if the volume of

work is increased in future and requires facilities.

17. Staff doing confidential work should be provided

adequate privacy.

18. There must be sufficient, natural or artificial light.

19. Adequate safety of valuable documents and records

should be ensured.

How to design an efficient office layout?

An efficient layout of an office can be designed only by the
manager. When, the office manager should consider the
following matters.

 Space available.

 Number of workers.

 Volume of work.

 Nature of work.

 Number of workers in designation wise.

 Types of machine and equipment used.

 Flow of work.

 Physical appearance.

The shape of an office is an important consideration. The

building or office space may be square, rectangular, long and
narrow or L or U shaped. Generally, square or rectangular
space is better than long or narrow space. The reason is that
the latter requires much floor crossing.

Advantages of an efficient office Layout

The following advantages can be derived by having planned

layout.

1. No waste of time and energy of office personnel.

2. Promotes efficiency of staff.

3. Proper utilization of floor space.

4. Easy supervision.

5. Speed in inter – communication.

6. Better use of office machines and equipment.

TYPES OF OFFICE LAYOUT

1. Cellular Office Layout

A Cellular Office is one in which the entire floor space is divided
into individual spaces or cubicles for one or more employees. It
is sequentially arranged areas that give employees their own
private space. It not only promotes focused working
environment but also systemise things in a better way.
In cellular office plan, individual rooms are created either by
using ceiling stud partitions or a window or a door. This means
each will get their own separate space where they can operate
their work the way they want.
But the best part about this layout is that you can create small
cubicles for your different operational team –which is good for
your team as well as company’s productivity.

Pros of Cellular Office

 Foster Autonomous Work
It promotes an efficient working environment to a great
extent. The chances of enhanced productivity become
higher when an employee gets an apt workspace where
he/she can manage their own work without any hindrance.
In fact, most of the Australian organisations incorporate
cellular office plan to create an autonomous working
environment for their highly-skilled and enthusiastic
employees.
 Improves Focus and Concentration
Cellular offices offer a peaceful environment for both the
employees and employers with the sole aim to let them
focus on their respective jobs. Usually, these types of office
plans are ideal for programmers, writers, analysts and
technical staff. These jobs need a high level of
concentration, and thus private cubicles work great for
them.
 Ensures Privacy
In individual cubicles, one will get a high level of security
and privacy. It means your confidential documents, and
other relevant papers will remain safe as nobody has the
permission to enter into your private working space.

Cons of Cellular Office

 Consumes a lot of space
Cellular office layouts take extra space as compared to any
other design plan. Since you are dividing your entire floor
plan, you will need additional space for each cubicle. Even
the passageways and doors in cellular plan consume a
huge space. So, if your commercial space is small, then
this would not be an ideal design plan for your office. Opt
for something else that requires less area effectively and
efficiently.
 Lack of Communication
In the cellular offices, the mode of communication among
employees lack because of separate workspaces. Though
employees can communicate via emails and memos, still it
is not as effective as verbal communication.

2. Open Office Layout

Most of the creative and IT companies in Australia use open

office layout to promote smooth and effective communication
among employees while maintaining a high level of discipline.
Under this plan, an entire floor area is divided by low partitions
where employees may have their own desks or may share a
table with other employees. However, each employee will be
given a separate chair and a computer, but the overall
workspace will remain non-territorial.
It provides greater opportunities for effective communication,
transparency, collaboration while promoting employee
relationships. If you want to boost your company’s productivity,
then this office layout has a lot to offer you.

Pros of Open Commercial office plan

 Enhances Verbal Communication
Since open office plans don’t have doors or any other
physical barriers, there is a good chance of improved
communication among employees. It makes it super-easy
for staff members to interact with each other and assign
their work accordingly. This can also fasten the flow of
information and encourages teams to perform their jobs
without any hindrance.
 Cost-effective
Open office plans are more economical as compared to
cellular offices. Instead of constructing separate
workstations for your employees, you can provide more
workspaces in this office plan. It will help you place more
people without any mess. Plus, you don’t need to pay extra
for separate lighting and air-conditioning.
 Makes supervision easy
From an employer’s point of view, open plan offices are
great. The design structure makes it easier for
administrators to supervise their teams in an effective
manner. You don’t need to track your staff as everything is
open in such a vivid working environment. Even, this
simplifies complex operational processes and increases
the productivity of both the employees and firm.

Cons of Open Office Plans

 Leads to distraction and noise
While open office layouts make supervision powerful, on
the contrary, it also leads to noise and distraction due to
 the undivided workspace. This makes it difficult for
employees to concentrate on their work, which directly
affects the company’s productivity.
 Lack of Privacy
This is also one of the biggest disadvantages of open office
plans that have emerged these days. It not only reduces
the privacy aspects of employees but also makes them
uncomfortable. It also affects their concentration power and
restricts them from making most out of their potential.

3. Co-working Office Layout

Co-working office plan is trendy, chic and popular among new-

age entrepreneurs. In this layout, a worker may or may not
have his own workspace. It simply approaches a first-come and
first-serve policy that encourages individuals to operate
wherever they want to within the premises.
In fact, you are free to choose your own space as per your
requirement. Being an employer, you can assign particular
desks to your workers according to their assigned job.
If you are a young businessman and want to promote social
interaction within your organisation, then this one is best office
plans for you. The flexible working environment increases the
possibility of collaboration while making workers (even
freelancers) comfortable.
In a nutshell, Co-working spaces are ideal for self-employed
workers who don’t have an office space for their own. With the
payment of a small fee, these people can work in a comfortable
working environment.

Pros of Co-working Layout

 Professional Networking
Co-working space layouts promote an environment that
boosts social interaction with same intellectual individuals.
Under this, you will get an opportunity to share space with
the people who are enthusiastic about their work and would
love to share their business ideas or plans with you. You
 can even discuss your projects with other professionals
who are in the same field to get more genuine feedbacks.
 Interact with customers and clients
One of the best things about Co-working spaces that it
allows self-employed workers to meet with their potential
clients and customers for their current or upcoming
projects. For example, if you want to discuss something
urgent about your client’s project, you can ask them to
meet you in a co-working office as space is available for
both the potential clients and customers as well.
 Saves Money
If you are a new entrepreneur and don’t have enough
money to set up your own workspace, you can opt for a co-
working office layout. It offers a wide array of organisational
facilities including desks, Wi-Fi internet, whiteboards,
photocopiers and other office equipment to help you get
started with your work in minutes. No capital funding is
required. Start your work with all the experience you have
and take your potential to the next level.

Cons of Co-Working Office Layout

 Zero Privacy
In co-working spaces, you won’t get a higher level of
privacy as many other co-workers will be working with you
in the same premises. In fact, most of the layouts have a
semi-private office where people share space with one or
more persons.
 Lack of Security
Usually, cloud servers available in Co-working office
layouts don’t provide wired access to the internet. It means
you have to use Wi-Fi if you have stored something in the
cloud server. This can be a serious problem if you need
secure access, especially if you keep your client’s file in the
cloud server. The hackers can easily gain access to the
secured documents via wireless internet. This is a serious
issue.
4. Combination Office Plan

This is one of the most versatile office plan layouts that can
help business owners to design their offices the way they want.
If you want both the open and cellular layouts, then a
combination office plan is perfect for you. In this specific office
plan, you can design your office in individual or separate
cubicles but use smaller space as compared to the cellular
layout.
Instead of using doors or windows, use common office
surroundings such as tables, couches, and chairs. This will also
give a glimpse of open office layout.

Pros of Combination Office Plan

 Improves productivity
This type of office layout encourages employees to focus
on their specific work while increasing their productivity.
They can interact with their seniors whenever they stuck in
the middle of their operational process. That saves
productive hours and encourages employees to work in a
better way.
 Ensures Smooth Communication
Communication becomes easier between teams and
departments when you adopt combination office plan.
Employees can clear their doubts, and discuss their
upcoming projects without any communication barrier. That
is one of the reasons why entrepreneurs look for
combination office spaces in Australia.

Cons of Combination Office Layouts

 Leads to distraction
People passing through the working space could distract
you, and in closed office layouts, it really annoys when
someone passes through you. That leads to distraction
which is not at all good for both the employees and a
company.
 Difficulty in maintaining standard operating system
 It becomes quite difficult in introducing and maintaining a
subsequent operating system for all employees in
combination office plan because all employees are
partitioned by smaller cubicles.

FEATURES OF A MODERN OFFICE

i. Office furniture

Leaders have begun understanding the importance of comfort and

ergonomics combined with the professional design of modern
furniture. Today's office furniture combines these two important
components to create an employee-friendly environment without
sacrificing flare and professionalism. Ergonomics is adaptation to the
user and when it comes to designing modern offices, the furniture is
intended to help prevent physical problems, stress, and concentration.

ii. Collaboration spaces/multifunctional spaces

Whether for board meetings or meetings with clients, today's modern

offices include accommodations that suit the needs for the intended
purpose of collaboration rooms. Experts suggest considering things
like storage needs, whiteboards, and space you'll need in the area.

iii. Built-in perks

Although they may be working, employees are more productive and

engaged when their work environment addresses their comfort.
Building in office perks that allow teammates to get a little exercise or
have a healthy snack while working can be just a couple of tricks that
are low-cost but offer a big comfort. Further, with technology that
allows your employees to interact and share without the disruption of
traversing from one office to the next, provides a quicker and more
effective way for them to collaborate.

iv. Technologies
 Most tech companies are focused on improving business operations.
From artificial intelligence to remote virtual receptionists,
organizations across the globe are becoming more automated. Today's
office employees expect more than a cubicle and a computer.

Companies can't afford their people wasting time on admin tasks --

and people increasingly don't want to do them. Office
automation frees up the time (and minds) of your employees by
streamlining various aspects of operations. This allows your people to
focus more on meaningful work -- and enjoying more time away from
the office.

Modern office technologies include:

 Visitor registration apps

 Corporate instant messaging and notifications
 Digital document management
 Asset and room scheduling software
 Enabling employee mobility
 Digital mailroom management

v. Lighting

Lighting plays a key role in the design of modern offices. Poor

lighting can cause visual fatigue and negatively affect worker
performance.

On the contrary, the correct use of different light sources, natural or

artificial, improves the comfort and productivity of the users.

vi. Decorative motivation

They are all elements that can help enhance creativity and inspiration
in workers. Factors such as the colour of the walls influence the mood
of people.

Ideally, they should be combined according to the corporate image

and light available; pale blues, greens, and greys are highly
recommended.
Plants are also believed to promote concentration and help create
peaceful environments, purifying the air and providing warmth.

Other examples would be paintings, inspiring phrases, ornaments, etc.

that depend on what we want to convey at the workspace.

QUESTIONS

1. List three functions of an office in a business organization

( 3 marks)
2. Give four reasons that make open-plan offices unpopular
with workers (4 marks)
3. Explain six reasons that account for the popularity of the
open plan office layout ( 9 marks)
4. Explain four features of a modern office (8 marks)
5. Outline five indicators of a poor office layout (10 marks)
6. Explain four advantages of the open plan office layout
( 8 marks)
7. Explain the benefits enjoyed by an organization that
landscapes its office (10 marks)