People have been trying to re
form the office, it seems, since the office first appeared. Who was A Christmas Carol's Bob Cratchit but an early office reformer, whining for heat so that his ink didn't freeze? Office reformers of today point to trends like hotelling, co-working, and (my personal favorite) working from home — worthy endeavors, all. Maybe not as worthy as central heat, but pretty good ideas nonetheless.
But maybe we can learn a lesson from the humble cubicle. No one sets out to design the most hated office furniture of all time, unless perhaps you work for the Spanish Inquisition, and the cubicle is no exception. Originally intended to free office workers from their hierarchical, codified drudgery of an existence (can't you just taste the irony?), the cubicle has become universally loathed.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Where Your Cubicle Came From - Tim Sullivan - Our Editors - Harvard Business Review
