Hidden, Open, Hierarchy

After reading Thomas Markus "The Shape of the Argument,"  I was intrigued by the discussion of power structures in buildings and how traditionally powerful people are placed the farthest distance from the public.  This, however, seemed  interesting as we examine the open office - which does have smaller offices for executives typically - but has a less hierarchical open floor plan. Whether social structure is less hierarchical today or that the office is merely adapting to become a factory of knowledge rather than material production is to be considered.  Although apparently democratic, the open office takes privacy away from the individual and promotes a type of "surveillance" work place, where every move and action can be closely monitored by those responsible for the company's operation.   The term hidden refers to the hidden power structure such space reinforces, while open refers to its literal openness.