GMAT考试写作指导：Issue写作范文六八

　　68. I agree that physical workspace can affect morale and productivity and that. as a

　　result, employees should have a significant voice in how their work areas are designed.

　　However, the speaker suggests that each employee should have full autonomy over his

　　or her immediate workspace, i think this view is too extreme, for it ignores two

　　important problems that allowing too much freedom over workspace can create.

　　On the one hand. I agree that some aspects of workspace design are best left to the

　　individual preferences of each worker. Location of personal tools and materials, style

　　and size of desk chair, and even desk lighting and decorative desk items, can each play

　　an important role in a workers comfort, psychological well-being, concentration, and

　　efficiency. Moreover, these features involve highly subjective preferences, so it would

　　be inappropriate for anyone but the worker to make such choices.

　　On the other hand. control over ones immediate workspace should not go

　　unchecked, for two reasons. First, one employees workspace design may

　　inconvenience, annoy, or even offend nearby coworkers. For example, pornographic

　　pinups may distract some coworkers and offend others, thereby impeding productivity,

　　fostering ill-will and resentment, and increasing attrition―all to the detriment of the

　　company. Admittedly, the consequences of most workspace choices would not be so tar-

　　reaching Still, in my observation many people adhere, consciously or not, to the adage

　　that one persons rights extend only so far as the next persons nose . A

　　second problem with affording too much workspace autonomy occurs when workspaces

　　are not clearly delineated―by walls and doors―or when workers share an immediate

　　workspace. In such cases, giving all workers concurrent authority would perpetuate

　　conflict and undermine productivity.

　　in conclusion, although employees should have the freedom to arrange their work

　　areas, this freedom is not absolute. Managers would be well-advised to arbitrate

　　workspace disputes and, if needed, assume authority to make final decisions about

　　workspace design