Accessibility links

Skip to content
Accessibility Help

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

.sc-c-sounds-nav { position: relative; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__menu-button { display: none; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__items { max-height: 500px; visibility: visible; position: static; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__overlay { display: none; } @media screen and (max-width: 659px) { .sc-c-sounds-nav__wrapper { padding-bottom: 0px; } .sc-c-sounds-nav__wordmark-link { padding-bottom: 18px; } }

Sounds home page

Home
Music
Podcasts
My Sounds

The Why Factor - Why are Open Plan Offices the Norm? - BBC Sounds

The Why Factor - Why are Open Plan Offices the Norm? - BBC Sounds

Why are Open Plan Offices the Norm?Why are Open Plan Offices the Norm?

Released On: 15 Feb 2013

Available for over a year

Why has the open plan office become the norm in many places, despite the distractions?

Programme Website

Coming Up Next

now playing
The Why Factor
Why are Open Plan Offices the Norm?
Why has the open plan office become the norm in many places, despite the distractions?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Cultural Memory
We all have memories but do we share some of those, socially or collectively? If so, why?
17 mins
The Why Factor
PTSD
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and why is it so controversial?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Silence
What role does silence play in our lives and why can it be so poignant or so awkward?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Sleep
The first of two programmes which looks at human behaviour and sleep.
17 mins
The Why Factor
Why do we get insomnia?
The second of two programmes about humans and sleep.
17 mins
The Why Factor
Retirement
Why do we retire?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Ageing
Why are attitudes towards older people often so negative?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Kiss
Why do humans kiss?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Singing
Singing is a way of bringing people together, expressing joy or sadness. Why do we sing?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Gold
Why are we so fascinated by gold?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Pets
Why do we live with cats and dogs?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Disgust
Why do we experience disgust?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Lie
Why do we lie? How do different cultures define telling the truth?
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Ball
Why play with a ball? Mike Williams finds out how ball games first evolved
17 mins
The Why Factor
Make-up
Why millions of women - and some men - paint their faces
17 mins
The Why Factor
The Sea
The compelling attractions of the sea through literature and science
17 mins
The Why Factor
Bathing: Supernatural Waters
Why can the ubiquitous act of bathing mean so many different things for different people?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Bathing: Water, Health and Well-being
The second of two programmes looking at why we bathe: the rituals and practices.
17 mins
The Why Factor
The City
Why do humans live in cities? And, what are the pros and cons of the modern metropolis?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Fire
Why are we fascinated with fire and what do myths tell us about how we view its power?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Tattoos
What motivates people to decorate their bodies with ink?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Ageing
Why are attitudes towards older people often so negative?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Violent Entertainment
What explains our enduring attraction to violent entertainment?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Mountains
What draws people to mountains and take risks scaling dangerous peaks?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Celebrity
Why has the modern world become so obsessed with celebrity culture?
17 mins
The Why Factor
Monogamy
Does true love have to be monogamous? We hear three very modern love stories.
17 mins
The Why Factor
Female Body Hair
The history of hair removal and what it tells us about notions of female beauty
17 mins
The Why Factor
Memory
How human memory works and why some memories are remembered more easily than others
17 mins
The Why Factor
Fasting
Why people choose to abstain from food for religious - and non-religious - reasons
17 mins
The Why Factor
Sad Music
Sad music has become more popular according to a recent study. Why do people listen to it?
17 mins

Cymraeg
Gaeilge
Gàidhlig

BBC Sounds Help
Contacts, Privacy and Information
Help with Signing In
Newsletter

Explore the BBC

Home
News
Sport
Weather
iPlayer
Sounds
Bitesize
CBeebies
CBBC
Food

Home
News
Sport
Business
Innovation
Culture
Travel
Earth
Video
Live

Terms of Use
About the BBC
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Cookies
Cookies
Accessibility Help
Parental Guidance
Contact the BBC
Make an editorial complaint
BBC emails for you
Advertise with us

Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.