Complexity As Reflected in The Feature Spaces of An Office

Complexity as Reflected in the Feature Spaces of an Office Emmanuela Corazon Laurel i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM 1
PROBLEM STATEMENT 2
Main Problem 2
Sub-problems 2
Objectives 3
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM 4
SCOPE OF THE STUDY 5
LIMITATIONS 6
STUDY FRAMEWORK 7
STUDY FRAMEWORK GRID 7
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 7
The Organization Theory 8
The Communication Process 9
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 14
The Formal Organizational Structure 14
Components of the Organizational Structure 15
Nonverbal Communication 16
OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK 17
Complexity 17
The Variables of Proxemics 20
METHODS AND PROCEDURES 23
DESIGN 23
SAMPLING SCHEME 24
SAMPLE AND POPULATION 24

Complexity as Reflected in the Feature Spaces of an Office Emmanuela Corazon Laurel ii
INSTRUMENT 25
PROCEDURE 26
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 28
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MANILA 28

Governance in UP Manila 28
Physical Facilities 29
THE UP MANILA ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 29

The Office of the University Registrar 30
The Cash Division 31
The Accounting Division 32
The Budget Division 33
The Office of the Personnel Services 34
PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS 35
COMPLEXITY IN THE OFFICES 35

Horizontal Differentiation Measures 35
Vertical Differentiation Measures 38
Spatial Dispersion Measures 43
THE PROXIMATE ENVIRONMENT OF THE OFFICE 48

The Fixed and Semi-fixed Features in the Offices 48
Ecological Maps and Occupants of the Offices 53
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 59
SUMMARY 59
CONCLUSION 64
IMPLICATIONS 65
RECOMMENDATIONS 66
Complexity as Reflected in the Feature Spaces of an Office Emmanuela Corazon Laurel 1
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
A Place for everything and
Everything in its place …
--- Samuel Smiles (1812-1904)
CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM
With the exception of the home, the office is probably the most important
microenvironment where most people work. Its design, space use, and object
arrangement indeed have a tremendous impact on the attitude of the workers, the
quality and quantity of their communication, and their productivity. With emphasis on
communication, previous studies related to this concept have revealed that effective
communication processes are affected by the proper arrangement of certain objects in
the office layout. Thus, to promote efficient communicative performance between
individuals and groups, several intra-office variables should be considered in the spatial
arrangement of the proximate environment of an organization. However, most
organizations of today have not realized these potentials. Consequently, these could be
a cause of communication breakdown in the office.
The use of space is a subtle but powerful factor in human, social and
organizational behavior. Thus, there is the tendency to arrange objects in space to

either suit individuals or groups or accomplish various purposes and perception. These
are the main concerns of PROXEMICS, the study of space (Daniel and Spiker 33).
Studying communication in the proximate environment of the office involves several
variables. In this case, the space and the degree of complexity in an organization are
considered. These variables, whether directly related or not, have an immense impact
on the work efficiency and employee productivity of the organization. However, to attain
work efficiency, the first step that can be taken is to create awareness on how
complexity can be manifested in the office feature spaces arrangement. In this
particular study, it intends to answer the problem stated below.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Main Problem
How is the degree of complexity reflected in the fixed and semi-fixed feature
spaces of an office?
Sub-problems
1. What is the degree of complexity existing in the organization?
a. How specialized are the jobs in the office?
b. What is the existing hierarchy of authority in the office?
c. How spatially dispersed is the office from the organizations it has interaction
with?
2. What is the existing layout of the office?
a. What fixed features are present?
b. What semi-fixed features are present?
c. How are the fixed and semi-fixed features arranged in the office?
3. Who are the occupants of the fixed and semi-fixed feature space included in the
office?
a. To what department/ group do they belong?
b. What are the roles/ positions of the occupants?
Objectives
1. To determine the degree of complexity of the organization
a. Determine how specialized the jobs in the office are;
b. Determine the existing hierarchy of authority in the office;
c. Determine how spatially dispersed this office is from the organizations it has
interaction with.
2. To determine and describe the existing layout of the office
a. Determine the fixed features present;
b. Determine the semi-fixed features present;
c. Describe how the fixed and semi-fixed features are arranged in the office.
3. To determine who are the occupants of the fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces in
the office
a. Determine the department/ group where they belong;

b. Determine the roles/ positions of the occupants.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM
The space that exists between people as they talk and relate to each other and
the way space is organized in homes, offices, and communities have different meanings
for the perceiver of the event. In the office area, space can be a controversial issue for
the occupants. Most people exhibit a decline in work productivity due to lack of space,
while others feel that an open work area is not the right solution. Space does not only
cover the square footage or the floor area. It includes the types of furniture, lighting, and
equipment as well. Most modern offices report decline in productivity and efficiency.
This could have been brought about by the inappropriate manipulation of certain
proxemic variables.
According to Proctor and Zandt, territoriality, crowding, authority and power are
the most prominent and at times uncontrollable social factors and message variables in
the workplace (438). Though unknown to most people, these factors and variables can
in fact be controlled through certain prerequisites that need to be accomplished by
means of human factors evaluation. To maximize the use of space, the evaluation must
begin by considering the purpose of the office, the working relationships of the
employees and other users, and the tasks to be performed in the office. This is known
as the degree of complexity (Proctor and Van Zandt 439). The organizational setup
also depends on some traditional systems such as organizational charts. However, the
question remains if this particular system is still necessary for the employees to be
guided in their work and communication patterns in the office.

Most modern day organizations consider the comfort and prestige of their
workers in arranging their offices. Nevertheless, some also depend on the
organizational structure, since it is a powerful guiding tool in facilitating a good flow of
communication and work productivity. Thus, the discovery of the implications of the
organizational structure in the office space arrangement is valuable in the process of
achieving the main goal of any organization and that is organizational effectiveness.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study focused on the concepts of fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces of an
office and the complexity of the organizational structure. By complexity, the variables of
horizontal, vertical differentiation, and spatial dispersion were measured and studied
against the variables of fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces.
Only the formal communication patterns were considered in the discussion of the
communication structure event to serve as supplement to the concept of organizational
structure. The concepts of territoriality and distance were also considered as these
were significant to the discussion of the problem statement.
Five unit offices of UP Manila were covered by the study. These were selected
as these satisfied most of the criteria set to accomplish the objectives of the study, as
presented in the third chapter. Only the existing spatial arrangements during the time of
observation were considered.

LIMITATIONS
Since not all concepts (by which the variables of this study can be
operationalized) are universally accepted, only three of these have been considered.
These include complexity, formalization and centralization. For this particular study, the
independent variable was only the concept of complexity.
Proxemic research served as the dependent variable for this study since this
underscores culturally bounded norms and measures, it is therefore impossible to come
up with a standard “universal checklist” of structures for proxemic systems. In this light
however, the fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces discussed in this paper were limited to
the non-behavioral aspect of nonverbal codes commonly known as artifactual
communication (Knapp 33). Only the categories or types of fixed and semi-fixed feature
spaces (as delineated by Knapp, Hall, and Leathers) and the answers of the
respondents (the sample population for this study) were used as basis in classifying the
fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces.
Respondents were limited to the chiefs of the offices for they are the ones
capable of completely describing and defining the elements included in the area of
complexity. Observations taken from the study were assumed to be estimates only as
the results of the measurement tool adapted from Robbins. Thus, the study was done
on a descriptive level, where the findings would only apply to the unit offices covered.
Chapter II
STUDY FRAMEWORK
STUDY FRAMEWORK GRID
Independent Intervening Dependent

Variable Variable Variable
Theoretical Organizational Communication

Theory: Systems Process:
Perspective SMCRE Model
Conceptual The Formal Orgzt’l
Structure: NVC:
Complexity PROXEMICS
Operational The Degree of Authority, power, The fixed and
horizontal, vertical status, role, age, semi-fixed feature
differentiation, and and gender spaces in the
spatial dispersion office.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
An organization is the planned coordination of the collective activities of two or
more people who, functioning on a relatively continuous basis and through division of
labor and hierarchy of authority, seek to achieve a common goal (Robbins 5). In
explaining the nature and processes occurring in organizations and its organizational
units, it is important that Organization Theory and message in the SMCRE (sender-
message-channel-receiver-effect) Process of Communication be discussed.

The Organization Theory
An Organization is a System
A high agreement among organizational theorists is that a systems perspective
offers important insights into the workings of an organization (Robbins 9). A system is a
set of interrelated and interdependent parts arranged in a manner that produces a
unified whole (Robbins 9). By following this definition, organizational units, such as a
sales office, could then be a subsystem of a larger system such as a marketing division.
Hence, all activities within that organization must be coordinated and consistent.
Systematic organizational practices are in fact governed by the notion of effective
communication for activities to transpire effectively.
Organization Theory
Organization Theory refers to the discipline that studies the structure and design
of organizations, it describes and prescribes the aspects of the discipline (Robbins 7).
Knowledge of this theory enables one to prescribe suggestions for the construction of
efficient organizational structures and designs to improve organizational effectiveness.
This theory also provides an analysis on how organizations work at optimum
conditions by undergoing systematic transactional procedures that deal with
relationships and cause and effect pattern (Robbins 9). Thus, the organization is also
considered as a system.
The Communication Process
Several definitions and models of communication have been developed
throughout time. Majority of these date back to Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Almost all models
discuss different communication factors that are formulated from the points of view of
different fields of study (i.e. psychology, sociology and linguistics). These factors are
used similarly in all models. The only difference lies in the manner by which the
proponent calls it.
The communication model discussed in this section is a hybrid communication
theory called the SMCRE Model of Communication. This model is a combination of
Berlo’s and Lasswell’s theories. It illustrates the main elements of most communication
theories, that is, the sender, message, channel, receiver, and effect (Lee 3).
The element of message will be explained further in this section to gain an
understanding of its nature and factors that govern the behavior and intention of the
communicator.
The SMCRE Model of Communication
According to David K. Berlo, proponent of the SMCR model, the source might be
a group of people, or a company, organization, or institution (Lee 4). In a
communication process, the ability of the source to communicate effectively will depend
on several factors. These may include communication skills, attitude, knowledge of the
subject matter, and his socio-cultural background.

The message deals with the “package” that needs to be delivered to the receiver
(Lee 5). Language content and organization are necessary for the desired audience to
understand the message being sent.
Channel can be thought of as a sense --- smelling, tasting, feeling, hearing, and
seeing. In other words, the channel can be seen as the method by which a message is
transmitted to the audience (Lee 6). Type and number of channels used will vary
depending on the purpose of the source. In order to maximize communication
effectively, the more the channels put up, the better message transmissions there are.
And finally, the receiver becomes the final link in the communication process
(Lee 7). The receiver has to have the ability to decode the message effectively in the
same manner that the sender effectively encodes these. The particular factors that
affect the ability of the source to communicate ideas are also the same factors that are
necessary for the receiver to decode the messages.
Harold Lasswell, a political scientist has noted that understanding the effect in
the communication process is also essential for effective communication to take place
(Fig. 1.1) Once an individual has communicated, he has motivated or produced the
desired effect (Lee 8). Before he enters into a communication situation, he must have a
purpose, an objective, or intention. This purpose is then experienced in behavioral
terms depending on the needs of the communicator (Dy 24).

Source Message Channel Receiver Effect
Feedback
Fig. 1.1 Hybrid Transactional Model of the Communication Process

The line that enclose the model represents a boundary which means that
all communication operates within a context or within a given situation with
limits of both time and space (Dy, 25).
Berlo states that communication breakdown occurs not only because of the
receiver but also due to the source. This results from the ineffective manner of
organizing messages or the inappropriate use of channel. Moreover communication
breakdown can be traced also along the lines of the S-M-C-R-E communication process
(Lee 9).
Another significant dimension to consider for effective communication to take
place is the response of the receiver. This must match the intention of the source (Dy
4).
The Notion of Intent
Miller and Steinberg state that intent to communicate and intent to influence are
synonymous. If there is no intent, then there is no message (Burgoon, Hunsaker, and
Dawson 19). The concept of intention leads one to view all communication as
persuasive. Thus in most cases, people with the intent to communicate tend to ascribe
meaning to some symbols. This is the reason why many nonverbal messages occur
below the level of awareness of people (Burgoon, Hunsaker, and Dawson 21).
The Message
The message can be considered as a package sent by the source. It does not
only consist of the innovation or technology that the receiver must know, understand,
accept, and act upon. It also involves factors and characteristics, which are not
normally explored (Dy 14).
Three Message Factors
These factors vital to the understanding of the concept of message include code,
content, and treatment. Code refers to symbols or language used that can be verbal
and/or nonverbal, which are seen in terms of ease or difficulty for audience
understanding (Lee 7). The content is the idea, innovation, or technology that is then
selected and organized in order to meet the acceptable treatment (Lee 7). Finally,
treatment refers to the arrangement, presentation, and organization of code and content
(Lee 7).
Aside from these three message factors, characteristics are also important
elements as these demonstrate how message works with every communication event.
These are as follows:
Message Characteristics
1. Messages are packaged – Messages maybe through the sounds one makes with
his mouth or the gestures one makes with his hands or eyes. These usually
occur in packages or clusters where various verbal and nonverbal behaviors
reinforce one another (De Vito 179). All parts of the message system usually
work together to communicate a unified meaning such that the nonverbal
messages would complement the verbal.
2. Messages are Rule-Governed --- Verbal messages are governed by the rules of
language (rules of grammar) that native speakers follow in producing and in
understanding sentences. This is made possible by observing the behavior of the
adult community (De Vito 181). Nonverbal messages are also regulated by a
system of rules or norms. However, these rules vary greatly from one culture to
another. Rules are cultural (and relative) institutions, these are not universal
laws, (De Vito 181).
3. Messages Vary in Directness --- Indirect messages allow one to express a desire
without insulting or offending anyone. These allow one to observe the rules of
polite interaction (De Vito 182).
4. Messages Vary in Believability --- When verbal and nonverbal messages conflict,
an individual is inclined to believe the nonverbal messages first. For most
messages, approximately 60% to 65% of their meanings are communicated
nonverbally. Since these are known to function below the level of conscious
awareness, most people believe the nonverbal rather than the verbal as the latter
is easier to fake (De Vito 184).
5. Messages and Metacommunication --- Metacommunication refers to other
communication, it is communication about communication (De Vito 185).
Nonverbal behavior may be metacommunicational. These are exemplified by
gestures, like crossing the finger behind the back or winking when telling a lie.
Furthermore, nonverbal messages also metacommunicate about other nonverbal
messages as in smiling while avoiding direct eye contact or extending a totally
lifeless hand (De Vito 185).
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The Organizational Structure results from an organizing process in which the
resources of an organization are allocated and deployed to achieve strategic objectives
(Carrell, Jennings, and Heavrin 535). Two types of structures exist in the organization,
that is, the formal and informal structures. The formal structure, which is the focus of
this study, consists of the processes and systems that are designed by management to
achieve organizational objectives (Carrell, Jenings, and Heavrin 535). On the other
hand, the informal structure covers a variety of arrangements that are usually neither
planned nor written and tend to emerge over time (Carrell, Jenings, and Heavrin 535).
The Formal Organizational Structure
The formal structure of an organization can be described by an organizational
chart which indicates the allocation of tasks and responsibilities to individuals and
departments within the organization, designates formal reporting relationships, defines
the number of levels in the organizational hierarchy, and groups individuals together
(Carrell, Jennings, and Heavrin 536). Stephen P. Robins, in his book Organizational
Theory: Structures and Designs, categorized all of the definitions under three major
components and these are complexity, formalization, and centralization.

Components of the Organizational Structure
Complexity
Complexity considers the extent of differentiation within the organization. This
includes the degree of specialization or division of labor, the number of levels in the
hierarchy of the organization, and the geographical dispersion of interacting
organizational units (Robbins 6).
Differentiation is manifested in three factors: the horizontal differentiation which
considers the horizontal separation between units (job specialization and
departmentation); the vertical differentiation which refers to the depth of the organization
(hierarchical levels and hierarchy of authority) and lastly spatial dispersion or the degree
to which the location of an organization’s facilities and Personnel are dispersed
geographically (Robbins 47). An increase in any one of these three factors may
increase the complexity within the organization.
Formalization
Formalization refers to the degree to which expectations concerning job activities
are standardized and made explicit (Robbins 47). In this sense, clear job descriptions,
rules, policies, and procedures may evoke high formalization in the organization.
Standardization does not only eliminate employees’ engaging in alternative behaviors
but also removes the need for employees to consider these alternatives. In other
words, the higher the formalization is, the more regulated the behavior of the employees
(Robbins 64).
Centralization
Centralization refers to the degree to which decision-making is concentrated.
Authority within a certain context, in this case, is not widely delegated (Carrell,
Jennings, and Heavrin 543). The focus of centralization is the formal authority that
highly values decision discretion (Robbins 77). It adds new perspectives to decisions
thus improving efficiency. Decentralization, which is the opposite, encourages the
delegation of authority to subordinates. Consequently, this reduces the probability of
information overload, facilitates rapid response to new information, and leads to clear
decision and motivation.
Nonverbal Communication
Proxemics
Nonverbal communication consists of codes that designate all kinds of human
responses not expressed in words, which includes a wide range of behaviors. It is
ambiguous, perpetual and frequently involuntary, thus it is essential that people
understand nonverbal communication. According to Gunther, we communicate with our
bodies, appearance, and most significantly through the environment we create and live
in (Gamble and Gamble 105). How one “dresses” his environment significantly provides
clues about ones role, status, age, and goals.
The two main divisions of nonverbal codes are human behavior and physical
elements. Human behavior involves variables such as Kinesics (body language),
physique and dress style, and Paralanguage (voice). While on the other hand, the
physical elements include Proxemics (space, distance, territoriality, privacy and
crowding) and environmental factors (chronemics or time, color, and touch).
According to Edward Hall, proxemics is the study of how people structure and
use micro-space, or the smallest space available to an individual (Leathers 72). Several
theorists noted there is no single concept that adequately describes how we
communicate in our proximate environment that is why space is accompanied by the
concepts of distance and territory, which are the most discussed variables of
proxemics.
OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK
Complexity
The degree of differentiation that exists within the organization is classified into
horizontal, vertical, and spatial dispersion. It is noted that should any of these factors
increases, the organization’s complexity relatively increases.
Horizontal Differentiation
Horizontal differentiation states that the larger the number of different
occupations within an organization that requires specialized knowledge and skills, the
more complex that organization is. This is due to the diverse orientations that make
communication and coordination difficult (Robbins 47).
In the expansion of departmental designations (departmentation) and creation
of special groups (specialization), the needed interaction becomes complex. These
expansions often lead to office layout reorganizations because paper work will move
from one work station to another and from one department to another in order to gain
efficiency in operation. As a result, the distance traveled by the paper work or by
persons in effecting this processing should be minimized (Robichaud 188).
Consequently, space allocation should be preceded by determining the extent to
which department or function depends upon or contributes to other functions of the
office. How these relationships could be effectively maintained in spite of the physical
separation of departments also needs to be noted (Robichaud 188). This is termed as
planning departmental layouts.
Planning departmental layouts to achieve both work arrangement efficiency and
attractiveness considers two factors, and these are:
1) The intradepartmental work flow between people and between people
and equipment and;
2) The specifications created by work flow, the efficient positioning of
desks, chairs, and other equipment.
Through Departmentation, the grouping of similar activities is made possible by
taking into consideration the above-mentioned factors to achieve work efficiency and
productivity.
Vertical Differentiation
This concept may be understood best as a response to an increase in horizontal
differentiation. An organization or organizational unit can be tall with many layers of
hierarchy, or flat, with few levels existing. The determining factor in this case, is the
span of control or hierarchical levels (Robbins 51). If the span is wide, managers will
have a number of subordinates reporting to them. Conversely, if it is narrow, the

manager will only have a few subordinates (hierarchy of authority) under them.
Figure 1.2 shows the difference between a tall and flat structure.
Flat Structure Tall Structure
Figure 1.2 Illustration of a Flat and Tall Hierarchy
Tall structures with their narrow spans, reduce the manager’s day-to-day
supervisory responsibilities. This setting gives more time for involvement with the
manager’s own boss (Robbins 52). It should be noted that increased size brings with it
complexity and more demands on the manager’s time. Other studies also showed that
the type of job and the individual characteristics of the jobholder would also moderate
the span-organizational effectiveness relationship (Robbins 52).
Spatial Dispersion
This refers to the degree to which the location of units an organization interacts
with (offices, plants and personnel) are dispersed geographically (Robbins 52). If an
extension of horizontal and vertical differentiation is to remain the same across spatially
separated units, the physical separation itself even increases complexity (Robbins 53).
A closer look at organizations and organizational units tells us that these three
factors may differ significantly. However, these same factors do not have to come as a
package just to indicate that a certain organization or organizational unit is complex
(Robbins 60). The degree of complexity will invariably depend on several other
elements comprising the organizational set-up. Thus, the complexity of the organization
as a whole would depend on the different organizational units it is comprised of. Placed
in a systems perspective, sub-units would fairly determine the management system of a
larger corporate system. Determining complexity should therefore be aimed at the base
levels to enable managers or supervisors to create different solutions to the multiple
demands and requirements of these units.
The Variables of Proxemics
The Fixed, Semi-fixed, and Informal Spaces
Hall identified three different types of space or spatial arrangements. These are
the fixed feature, semi-fixed feature, and informal or non-fixed feature space (Leathers
73). Fixed feature space involves either concrete or imaginary but stable boundaries
that define territory. Goldhaber states that there is a close relationship between status
and territory in organizations (Daniel and Spiker 33). This particular manipulation of
space signifies that status gives an individual more authority to control activities within
his proximate environment.
Semi-fixed feature space refers to the placement of objects at home, in the office,
conference room, and other proximate environment (Leathers 73). The semi-fixed
objects include furniture, plants, screens, and movable walls. Daniel and Spiker have
emphasized the use of semi-fixed feature space to be more dependent on
organizational customs and allocation of resources than on any conscious personal
choice that the occupant makes (34). As a proxemic variable, the most important
communicative function of this feature space is the degree to which it may promote
involvement (sociopetal) or withdrawal (sociofugal) among the individuals using the
space (Leathers 74).
The informal space or non-fixed feature space refers to the physical proximity of
one person to another in interpersonal settings, which works like a personal bubble that
changes range from that of intimate to public (Gamble and Gamble 126).
Distance and Territory
In essence, informal space works very much like the concept of distance where
normative distances have been established for intimate, personal, social-consultative,
and public communication (Leathers 87). Comfortable distances for individual
communicators vary depending on the cultural norms and preferences of those involved
in the communication process. Otherwise communication effectiveness would not be
possible.
On the other hand, establishing territory employs markers to demarcate
boundaries. Territory is evident in animal behavior studies wherein an organism
characteristically lays claim to an area and defends it against members of its own
species, to assure the density of its members (Leathers 78).
There are four types of territories, namely, public, home, interactional, and body
(Leathers 79). Public territories are those areas where individuals enter freely though
with great constraints on human interaction due to laws and social traditions;
interactional territories are areas of informal congregation as in parties; home territories
feature freedom of interaction for those who claim the territory; and lastly, body
territories consist of space marked as reserved for use by our bodies (Leathers 79). It is
known that violations of such territories most often lead to disruption in the
communication continuum.
The Office as a Public Territory
The office environment holds a lot of nonverbal messages when it comes to
proxemics. Variables such as those discussed above have a great impact in the way
communication is shaped in organizations. The arrangement of walls, tables, chairs,
ornaments, and other objects in the office setting present meanings not easily perceived
by the senses. An example is desk placement. This is a variable most often
manipulated. A study in a doctor’s office showed that the patient was more at ease
when no table separated him from the physician (Leathers 278). In addition, if one
wishes to stimulate conversation with another person in the office, he should sit close to
the other as long as norms would allow to evoke equality in the process (Leathers 278).
Chapter III
METHODS AND PROCEDURES

DESIGN
The design adapted by the study is the CRITERION GROUP DESIGN. This is a
nonexperimental type of research design wherein the researcher examines the
characteristics of existing groups (that is, groups not experimentally assigned to
particular treatments) to determine the degree to which these groups differ with regard
to specified characteristics (Vockell and Asher 21).
There are many possible formats that criterion group designs can employ. The
following is the simplest:

C O1
O2
In this design, the C (for criterion) replaces the X (of an experimental design) for
representing the treatment (Vockell and Asher 294). To utilize this design, one group of
subjects who are already receiving treatment, or have previously received a treatment,
or who possess a certain characteristic (C) should be acquired as sample. The
performance of the group is then measured with regard to a specified outcome variable.
Another group, similar in all respects to the first group, is also sampled and measured,
this time without treatment. Finally, the performances of the groups acquired are
compared to see whether their scores differed on the outcome variable. In this case,
manipulation of the different fixed and semi-fixed features and objects within the office
by the superiors served as the C (criterion). The outcome variable used in this study is
the degree of complexity.
This design is used to know whether there is a significant relationship between
the variables so that attempts to study these concepts in the future may involve the use
of the experimental approach.
SAMPLING SCHEME
The purposive sampling scheme, a type of non-probability sampling, was used.
This involves sampling units being selected subjectively in an attempt to obtain samples
that are important to the study objectives. This is incorporated since not all the
administrative offices would qualify under the set criteria.
SAMPLE AND POPULATION
Certain criteria were set in order to accomplish the objectives of this study.
These were also used as bases for identifying the sample and population. The criteria
for an office to be considered in the study are (1) a minimum of 100 square meters of
office floor area; (2) the presence of at least five or more employees including the head;
(3) permanent employees with individual workstations; (4) complete basic office
equipment; and (5) offices with minimal to constant interaction with other units regarding
the activities performed.
In a survey of the different offices existing at the University of the Philippines
Manila, five offices were considered for the study. Four of these were administrative
offices and one was an academic office. These were the Cash, Accounting, Budget,
Personnel, and Registrar’s Offices respectively. Only the superiors of the Cash Division
and Registrar’s office have had influence in the construction of their offices.
Respondents only included the head of each office who answered for the whole unit.
INSTRUMENT
The instruments used to gather data were those of the interview schedule,
observation checklist, and the layouts.
Interview Schedule
The interview schedule answered sub-problem #1, which was to determine the
degree of complexity in the office. Sources were Robichaud, Yager, and Robbins. This
instrument was employed in order to gather data directly from the superiors. There were
33 open-ended questions categorized according to the component of complexity. The
first part of the interview schedule outlines the basic questions of age, civil status, length
of stay in position, and major accomplishments while in position. It was then followed
by the three components of complexity, the horizontal, vertical, and spatial dispersion.
The last portion of the interview schedule was constructed to find out the reasons
behind office rearrangements. Within the interview proper, the head of the office also
explained the organizational chart of the office in order to configure the physical setup of
the office with their organizational structure (Appendix B).
Observation Checklist
The observation checklist was first used to illustrate the office layout and identify
the different fixed and semi-fixed features in the different offices. The different
categories used in this checklist were incorporated from different sources such as
Robichaud (278) and Yager (789). However, some categories were later added as a
result of the answers of the respondents. The observation checklist answered sub-
problem # 2, which was the listing of fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces. The
appearance of the checklist was a chart with four major columns that had the following
labels: type, fixed feature spaces, semi-fixed feature spaces, and ornaments. The
number of rows varied according to the identified fixed and semi-fixed features present
in each office. In addition, the fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces and ornaments
columns were still subdivided into two each to indicate the different items in the
subordinates and superiors’ workplace (Appendix A).
Layouts
In addition to the observation checklist, a layout was also used to answer sub-
problem #3, which was to determine the seating position of the employees and the
group to which they belong. This was also accompanied by interview schedules.
PROCEDURE
In order to meet the objectives of the study, these steps were followed. First, the
measures of the independent and dependent variables in the research problem were
identified. Vague concepts were clarified in the research question. Next, a review of
related literature on studies regarding impacts of fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces
and dominant communication patterns on different organizational structures was made.
Following the review of related literature, the concepts of organizational structure and
fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces were operationally defined. The appropriate study
design was incorporated based on the context of the problem. Then, the necessary
criteria were set to accomplish the objectives of the study. Before deciding on the
offices to be included in the study, the population and office layout of all offices in UP
Manila were surveyed in order to classify those that were appropriate to the study. After
surveying the entire campus offices’ population, the appropriate non-experimental
strategy was devised to test and monitor the relationship of the independent and
dependent variables. The instruments used were the observation checklist, layouts,
and the interview schedule. Intensive data gathering was conducted for about 1-2
weeks based on the availability of the respondents. Observation always preceded the
interview. It was necessary that observation of each office and interview of the
respective heads be conducted within a timeframe where the occupants would not
engage in rearrangement of their office to avoid encountering conflict in analysis.
Data analysis was made possible through the use of percentile, frequency
distribution, and ecological maps. The analysis of the measures of complexity was
done through the use of Stephen P. Robbins’ “Complexity Assessment Scale” provided
in his book Organizational Theory: Structures and Designs (Appendix F). This
questionnaire does not provide an accurate measure of complexity but passes as a
reasonable estimate (Robbins 58). There were other measurement scales provided by
other authors, this tool was incorporated by reason of availability.

Chapter IV
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MANILA
UP Manila is the autonomous campus for the health sciences of the University of
the Philippines system. Back to its founding on June 18, 1908 at Ermita, Manila, the
earliest units in the campus were the Philippine General Hospital and the College of
Medicine. Only after several years later did other health units came about. These are
the College of Public Health, College of Pharmacy, College of Nursing, College of Allied
and Medical Professions, School of Health Sciences, and the National Teacher Training
Center.
The University of the Philippines Manila aims to provide the highest quality of
advanced education, professional training, basic and applied research, and community
service to the general public (UPM Handbook 3). It will not only ensure equitable
access to UP education but it shall produce outstanding scholars, practitioners, and
leaders in the fields of health, the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the
humanities.
Governance in UP Manila
UP Manila is headed by a chancellor. In turn, this chancellor is aided by three
Assistants-to-the-Chancellor. It has a University Council consisting of faculty members

(Assistant Professors and up), which recommends academic concerns to the Board of
Regents (BOR) through the UP President.
A Dean heads degree-granting units while a director supervises non-degree
granting units (e.g. PGH and NIH). On the other hand, a director or a chair heads the
academic service offices while Chiefs of Divisions govern the administration service
offices (Appendix C - UP Manila Organizational Chart).
Physical Facilities
Within the 14-hectare land area of the University (from Padre Faura to Pedro Gil
Blocks), there exist a total of 28 buildings and complexes. Many of the Central
Administration offices are located on the 8th floor of the PGH’s Central Block building
which includes three of the offices contained in the study, namely the offices of
Personnel, Accounting, and Budget Services. On the other hand located at the former
UP Manila Administration building on Padre Faura Street are the two other offices
included in the study, and these are the Office of the University Registrar and the Cash
Division (Appendix D - ecological map of UP Manila).
THE UP MANILA ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES
Of the five offices included in the study, four are Administrative Service offices.
These offices look into matters pertaining to employee concerns, system budget,
University records, financial distribution, information management and dissemination,
and others. These are the offices of Personnel, Accounting, Budget, and Cash.
Meanwhile, the office of the University Registrar is one of the Academic Service
offices, which mainly takes charge of the students’ grades. It handles matters dealing
with academic records.
Apparently, these offices are geographically separated but in fact, they are linked
with regard to function. Further explanation of the function and nature of work in these
offices will be presented herewith.
The Office of the University Registrar
The office of the University Registrar (OUR) is a service unit of the university. Its
main objective is to attend to all of the students’, employees’, alumni, and even the
general public’s needs, with regard to the academic aspect of the university (Lago 44).
In effect, once a student enters the university, starting with his admission until the
day he graduates, the OUR assists him in processing his academic records. Even after
a student graduates from the university, the OUR continues to render its services by
means of providing him with his official transcript of records.
The following are the activities performed by the OUR:
 Screens applicants for admission;
 Issues official transcripts of records, diplomas, certificates of graduation, and the
certified translation of diploma (which is in Filipino);
 Maintains students’ records;
 Registers qualified students in coordination with college secretaries;
 Attends preparations relative to graduation; and

 Renders secretariat Services to the University Council.
As an information center on admission, the OUR notifies incoming applicants of
their admission status and help qualifiers get into a program of their choice, after which
it issues admission slips to qualified freshmen. It also evaluates records of foreign
applicants with the aid of the different college secretaries.
The OUR is also the repository of data on enrollment, graduation, scholars and
scholastic delinquents, withdrawal, and even that of the performance of UP Manila
graduates in the different Board of Examinations administered by the Professional
Regulations Commission (Lago 45).
In association with the different colleges and the Office of Student Affairs (OSA),
statements of accounts for scholars and voucher refunds of students during registration
(ex. STAP bracket change or overassessment) are also facilitated by the OUR.
Academic matters are not the only concerns of the OUR, it also handles the
maintenance of all University Council proceedings along with the excerpts of BOR
meetings, and such communications which need filing record purposes. Mrs. Estela M.
Layug is the UP Manila University Registrar.
The Cash Division
The Cash Division is an administrative office, which aims to provide the university
with efficient and systematic cash collection and disbursement activities. They are in
charge of the academic and non-academic units, with the exception of the Philippine
General Hospital (PGH has its own Cash Division), with regard to fee collection and
salary disbursement.
The UP Manila Cash Division is responsible for the following:
 Collects fees for the campus;
 Prepares and releases cash/checks in payment of UPM obligations;
 Maintains/Keeps one bank account for all UP Manila funds including
investments; and
 Requests/purchases accountable forms, such as commercial checks and official
receipts.
Mrs. Elsie Bolambao heads the Cash Division.
The Accounting Division
The UPM Accounting Division is primarily responsible for keeping the financial
records and maintaining books of accounts in order to reflect an up-to-date record of all
receipts and disbursements of the campus. One of the main objectives and functions is
to ascertain whether accounting and auditing regulations, policies, procedures,
memoranda and office orders are being observed in the disbursements of public funds,
control of allotment and expenditures. Another objective and function of the office is to
certify to the availability of funds. The division also serves as the technical adviser of
the management regarding the finances of the UP Manila campus.
The UP Manila Accounting Office is responsible for the following activities:
 Keeps campus financial records and maintain books of accounts. However, the
PGH Accounting Office shall maintain records for all PGH transaction;
 Controls/Monitors allotments of the different units/colleges. A quarterly report on
balances of these allotments shall be rendered to Deans/Directors; and
 Certifies funds availability for all campus transactions. However, the PGH Chief
Accountant is delegated the authority to certify funds availability for PGH
transactions.
Mrs. Angela F. Pinlac heads the Accounting Division. A Certified Public Accountant,
Mrs. Pinlac has been serving the University for 11 years now.
The Budget Division
Another administrative office is the UP Manila Budget Division. This office aims
to provide UP Manila with a consolidated annual budget proposal and clearances for
personnel appointments.
The UP Manila Budget Office is responsible for the following:
 Integrates and submits consolidated annual budget proposal/estimate of the
campus to the UP System;
 Prepares and submits the campus Internal Operating Budget (IOB) for a Fiscal
Year, which is based on the appropriation ceiling provided by the UP System;
 Issues Quarterly Notices of Sub-Allotments approved by the Chancellor; and
 Issues Budget Clearance to all appointments/basic papers of regular,
contractual, or emergency personnel.
The chief of the Budget Division is Mrs. Tessie B. Merca. At present, she is also
the Chair of the Staff Development Committee (SDC) of UP Manila.

The Office of the Personnel Services
Managing and developing the personnel in the University is the main objective of
the Office of the Personnel Services (OPS).
The following are the work plans and programs of the Personnel Office:
 Maintains 201 files;
 Administers the Performance Evaluation System;
 Prepares and reviews required documents for processing of appointments;
 Processes Benefits/Claims;
 Facilitates the filling-up of vacancies and request for additional staffing or
reclassification of positions. The office seeks assistance form the PGH-hiring
and selection section for the scoring and psychological testing of applicants;
 Serves as support personnel for the implementation of programs of the staff
development committee;
 Serves as support staff of the selection board and the academic personnel and
fellowship committee; and
 Disseminates information on personnel policies and procedures.
The OPS provides the University level several functions for personnel
management and development. It reviews and checks the truth and accuracy of all
submitted requirements and supporting documents of the units/offices. It also looks into
other actions in connection with all cases of appointments and also for Statistical
Bulletin, Annual Reports and other similar requests. The OPS also acts as the
Secretariat for the Selection Board and the Academic Personnel and Fellowship
Committee.
Mrs. Veneranda Geronimo has been the head of the Personnel Services for
eleven years now. She is also a professor of Sociology in the College of Arts and
Sciences in UP Manila.
PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
The respondents included in the study are the five heads of each office, all are
female and of married status. Of the five respondents, four of them hold a bachelor’s
degree (80%) while the other has a master’s degree (20%). Three of the respondents
are in the age bracket of 30-40 years old (60%) while the other two are in the 41-50-age
bracket (40%). In terms of their years of service in their position, three of the
respondents have served the university for more than seven years (60%) while the rest
has been in position for 6 years and less (40%). (table 1 ).
COMPLEXITY IN THE OFFICES

Horizontal Differentiation Measures
The two most critical factors used to determine the degree of horizontal
differentiation are the number of occupational specialties and level of training. The
greater the number of occupations and the longer the period of training required, the
more complex the organization is.

Job Titles
The Office of the University Registrar has a total of eleven people including the
University Registrar. According to the respondent, there are four job titles in the office
and eight of the staff belongs to the Student Records Evaluators position (72%). The
Office of the Cash Division has six job titles and a total of nine employees including the
Chief Cashier. The following positions have two staff each: Cashier II (22%), Cash
Clerk III (22%), and Clerk III (22%). On the other hand, the Personnel Services has
nine job titles for its thirteen employees including the Human Resource Management
Officer V or Chief H.R.M.O. The office has an equivalent number of three staff for the
following positions: Human Resource Management Officer III (H.R.M.O. III) (15%),
H.R.M.O. II (15%), Computer Operator (15%) and Clerk (15%). And finally, the Office of
Accounting has the largest number of employees, which is twenty-five, and consists a
total of twelve job titles. Majority or six of the staff belongs to the position of Accountant
II (24%).
Special and Technical Training
Six members of the staff in the Registrar’s Office, one a Computer Programmer
and the others all Data-Encoder SRE’s, undergo special training (50%) held in
workshops. Here, they master computer applications in line with the new system of
computerized registration while the others continue enhancing technical applications
(40%). The head of the Cash Division requires most of her Cashiers and Cash Clerks
(87%) to undergo special training on a rotation basis. These consist of a series of
seminars mostly for updates on the latest financial system processes. Meanwhile, the
Accounting Division head requires its Accountant IV, Accountant III, Accountant II,
Financial Analysts, and Senior Book Keepers (58%) to submit to special training such
as annual accountants’ seminars and workshops given by both private and government
sectors. And like the other offices, the staff is sent on a rotation basis so as not to leave
the office undermanned. In the Office of the Budget Services, all of the staff (100%)
undergoes special training (rotation basis) also in the form of workshops and seminars
for the purpose of being updated. The head of the Personnel Services considers most
of her staff’s training to be more technical, which is on-the-job training (74.97%), on the
other hand a few undergoes special training (24.99%), specifically those who belong to
the Research and Development Department.
Departmentation
For the grouping of activities, the offices of the Registrar, Cash Division, and
Accounting answered a grouping according to function. The office of the Personnel is
by process, and the Budget Service is by units. It is important to note that the
respondents declined to use the term department for they say it is inapplicable to their
status. Most of the offices have a standard of three groupings with the exception of the
Office of the College Registrar, which has an indefinite number of groups. (Table 2)
Vertical Differentiation Measures
Vertical differentiation measures are determined by the number of levels within a
single group and the mean number of levels for the whole office.
Authorities in the Office
According to their respective organizational charts, the Office of the College
Registrar has two authorities, the College Registrar and the Student Records Officer
(Fig. 2.1). The Cash Division also has two, the Cashiers V and IV (Fig. 2.2).
Meanwhile, the Accounting Office has three officers, and they are the Chief Accountant,
the Accountant IV, and the Accountant III (Fig. 2.3). Note however that the two
sections, Payrolls and the Disbursement/Allotment Sections have only one head.
According to the respondent, they are still looking for the right person to fill the position.
The Personnel Services has about four authorities in the office. The head is the
H.R.M.O. V and the three sub-leaders are the H.R.M.O. IV, H.R.M.O. III, and H.R.M.O.
II (Fig. 2.4). And finally, the Budget Office also has two authorities: the Budget Officer V
and her assistant the Budget Officer IV (Fig. 2.5).
Hierarchical Levels
Based on the organizational charts of the offices under study, the mean number
of hierarchical levels are as follows. The office of the College Registrar has three, the
Cash Division has four, the offices of Accounting and Personnel have six, and the
Budget Division has five levels. (Figs. 2.1-2.5).
The organizational chart mainly describes all the formal aspects of an
organization. However, according to the respondents, determining the levels in modern
organizations do not merely rely on looking at the company’s organizational charts. The
Organization is always in a state of change and so goes to follow the working
relationships of employees within the office. These changes are brought about by
technology, modified working patterns, and complexity of the jobs performed. Since this
is the case, the hierarchies imposed by these traditional organizational charts are in
effect bypassed.
Spatial Dispersion Measures
The measure of spatial dispersion includes a count of the number of
geographical locations interacting with the focused group of offices and at least an
estimate of the distance of the separated places from the offices under study. And if
applicable, the number of employees who work in these geographically situated areas
are required.
Geographical Interaction between UP Manila Offices
and External Environment
The Registrar’s Office has a great number of offices that it has occasional
interaction with. These include the different colleges and universities within the Metro
Manila area (60%) and in the provincial areas (40%) wherein the dominant mode of
communication used is none face-to-face. On the other hand, it has frequent face-to-
face interaction with the different University Registrars of the Autonomous Campuses.
This interaction, which takes place once or twice a month in UP Diliman, usually takes
the form of meetings wherein they discuss and present reports regarding academic
information. Meanwhile, the administrative offices have minimal interaction with offices
outside the UP System. This is with the exception of the Budget Services where the
chief frequently meets (twice a week) with the Department of Budget and Management
representative for budgetary hearings. All of the five heads in these offices meet with
their counterpart heads from the different UP autonomous campuses in Diliman (once
or twice a month). Eighty percent of these meetings are held for the purposes of
standardization while twenty percent are for updates (Fig. 3.1).
Geographical Interaction of offices within UP Manila
Within UP Manila, the University Registrar has occasional face-to-face interaction
(weekly) with the different college secretaries. The main goal is to follow the weekly
academic developments taking place within the different colleges. These units surround
the campus and are all by walking distance at the most. The Cash Division frequently
has dominant non-face-to-face interaction with the administrative offices in the 8 th floor,
most especially with the Accounting office. On the other and, the three administrative
offices on the 8th floor of the PGH Building have frequent face-to-face interaction with
each other. Because of its proximity to each other, these three offices are considered by
their respective respondents to be a one-stop-processing area.
These three offices, which are adjacent to each other (Accounting, Budget, and
Personnel), are all located in one big room separated only by partitions. It is also
significant to mention that aside from the proximity of these three offices, they also have
rare (usually monthly) face-to-face interaction with their satellite offices. These are the
“counterpart” offices in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) that are functionally under
the UP Manila administrative offices but are considered independent in terms of
operations. Frequent face-to-face interaction also takes place with these four
administrative offices and the higher administrative offices, which are all on the 8 th floor
of the PGH Building. Majority of the activities performed by the administrative offices
are macro-level activities (50%), then next are report preparation and integration (30%),
and lastly document processing (20%). The macro-level activities described by most of
the respondents involve not only the concerns of UP Manila but of the UP System as
well. This is summarized as the synthesis and integration of policies, projects, and
agenda for the whole UP System in order to achieve the main goal of standardization.
Aside from interacting with other administrative offices, the Personnel and Budget
Service Offices occasionally have dominant none face-to-face interaction with the
different units/colleges, since sixty-six percent of these comprise majority of the clients
the offices serve. The rest, or thirty-four percent is comprised of the administrative
personnel (Fig. 3.2).
Meanwhile, majority of the respondents stated that their employees are not
required to go to other units’ area during transactions (60%) with the exception of the
office of Accounting and Personnel (40%). The chief of Accounting states that face-to-
face interaction is necessary in all of their activities since money matters are difficult to
handle even with the presence of technology. The office sends a representative to
those divisions that require assistance in speed processing of personnel details.
Meanwhile in the Personnel Services, employees go to other geographical locations for
exposure to new systems in human resource development.

THE PROXIMATE ENVIRONMENT OF THE OFFICE

The Fixed and Semi-fixed Features in the Offices
Based on the observation in the five offices, the dominant type of office present
was the landscaped design, which is an alternative to the open office. This design
featured a setting where desks and private offices were grouped together according to
their functions and the interactions of the employees.
Meanwhile there were ten major types of fixed and semi-fixed features identified:
walls, windows, doors, cabinets (fixed and semi-fixed), desks, chairs, machine stands,
other office materials, and ornaments.
The Registrar’s Office and Cash Division are landscaped design offices with
private areas for the chief officers. The type of wall enclosing these private offices is a
divider wall with about 2-3 feet clearance from the ceiling. This type of partition is made
up of wood and transparent glass that is securely fastened to the floor. In the
Registrar’s Office, majority of the subordinates are separated from the assistant head by
a type of partition called a railing that is about 3 feet high (waist height) and is made of
wood. On the other hand in the Cash Division, majority of the subordinates (including
the next in line) are separated by partitions called bank screens, which are also made of
wood and glass materials. Windows in the office area are mainly situated in front for
transaction purpose, while on the other hand large transparent glass windows surround
both superiors’ office. These private offices are also equipped with a fixed door made of
the same material that the partition is composed of.

Other than the windows, walls and doors, other fixed features seen in the 2
offices are located in the subordinates’ area. These are the fixed closed-front hanging
bookcases made of wood, and the semi-closed front hanging bookcase in the Cashier
V's office.
There are numerous semi-fixed features in the office. Beginning with the tables,
most of the desks in the subordinates’ area of both offices are flattop painted
rectangular desks (or the regular desks) of medium size and are equipped with drawers
and a glass top. Meanwhile, both superiors’ table is an executive desk made of
varnished wood and equipped with drawers and a glass top. This is matched with large
soft-cushioned executive recliner chairs with rollers. An 8-seater conference table with
excellent wood finish is also located in the private office of the Registrar.
Other office equipments located in both private offices are steel filing cabinets
with two to three storage compartments and semi-closed bookcases lined up against
the rear of the wall. The University Registrar’s bookcase is filled with trophies, plaques
of recognition, figurines, and books while simple figurines and ornaments adorn the
Chief Cashier’s hanging bookcase. A counter-high cabinet separates the visitors’ area
from the Student Records Officer’s (next in line’s) working area in the Registrar’s Office.
Several other open file cabinets are located in the rear of the same office where the
subordinates are. Another semi-fixed feature observed that is highly significant for most
modern offices are the machine stands where the personal computer (PC) is situated.
For both offices, majority of the staff using PCs for performing their designated activities
have a machine stand attached or adjacent to their main desks.

Other office materials present in the two offices were blinds, to cover the main
windows (for transactions) and for the two superiors’ windows for times of privacy. And
finally, letter trays and wastebaskets are present in each desk.
It is significant to mention that there are very minimal ornaments in the Cashier’s
Office as compared to the office of the University Registrar. In the subordinates’ area of
the Registrar’s Office, miniature plants, ceramics, and pictures adorn the top of
partitions, desks, and cabinets. The University Registrar has a simple miniature plant
and one or two figurines decorating her desk (Table 3).
Meanwhile, the three offices in the 8 th floor are also based on the landscape
design types of offices. These offices are located in a big room separated only by
different types of partitions. Surrounding the three superiors in these offices are divider
walls about 7-10 feet high made of paneled wood. Meanwhile, the subordinates
occupying these offices are divided into groups by railing partitions ranging from about
3-5 feet high, which are also made of paneled wood. There are no adjacent windows
existing for each office since it is one big room, however, certain windows appear to
have a function during certain times in an academic year. Windows near the
Accounting Office serve as transaction windows during enrollment for students claiming
checks or applying for student loan.
It should also be noted that since these offices are semi-closed areas divided by
partitions, no fixed doors are present. However, in the context of the fixed features
definition, there are imaginary doors that are worth pointing out through the observation
process. These imaginary doors are located at the openings of each superior’s
cubicles, which prohibit outsiders from entering without first knocking. Nevertheless, the
superiors really do not mind regardless whether these people knock or not. The same
also applies in the area of the subordinates, though less restrictions compared to the
superiors. A large fixed open file cabinet is lined up against the rear wall of the
Accounting Division, it is mainly made out of wood and it contains the ledger books
used for record purposes.
Semi-fixed features included in the three offices are flattop rectangular desks for
majority of the subordinates and the chief of Personnel Division. An L-shaped table is
used by the Personnel Office’s secretary, computer furniture/machine stands for
majority of the employees, and a flat table and executive desks for the superiors and
next in line of Accounting and Budget Offices respectively. The Budget Division also
has an 8-seater conference table located in the superior’s private space. Both large
and medium-sized computer chairs with rollers dominate the three offices. The
Accounting Assistant uses an executive chair while some of the staff in the Accounting
Office uses old-fashioned swivel chairs. Both the Personnel and Budget Services share
two sofa seats for waiting visitors and clients, and noticeably there are only a few side
chairs adjacent to the employees’ desks within the three offices.
In terms of cabinets, there are numerous filing cabinets made of steel that are
present in the office, almost all groups had one within their reach. The subordinates of
all three offices mainly use open file cabinets for the immediate storage and retrieval of
common files. Other than these two types of cabinets, two other types are also used by
majority of the subordinates, and these are the counter-high cabinets and supply
cabinets. Bookcases are mainly found in the three superiors’ private spaces and one
near the Personnel subordinates’ area, which actually serves as a partition for their
group.
Blinds cover all the windows of the offices, and these windows are mainly near
the subordinates. Letter trays and wastebaskets can be found on almost every desk.
Another office equipment is the water cooler. There are 2 units in the office, one is in
the subordinates’ area in Accounting and the other is in the Budget division. And lastly,
ornaments are numerous in the Accounting Office compared to the Budget Division,
which relatively has none. The Personnel’s Office on the other hand, has minimal to
average ornaments present.
Ecological Maps and Occupants of the Offices
The Office of the Cash Division and Registrar’s Office are located at the old
NEDA Building on Padre Faura Street. Although the Registrar’s Office is an academic
service office by nature, its activities are not independent of the other administrative
offices included in the study. By looking at their adjacent positions (Registrar’s and
Cash), much interrelated facts could be gathered from this setup. Of the five offices
being studied, these are the two offices that somehow reflect similar layouts and types
of materials used for their construction.
It would be significant to mention that the five offices were relocated because of
two reasons, one is safety and comfort of the employees and the other is for the safety
of files. However with these relocation of offices, only the University Registrar and Chief
Cashier have had influence in the construction and lay outing of their respective offices.
As with the other three offices, the respective respondents were not given the
chance to create the general structure that will best suit their work patterns.
Consequently, they made do with rearranging the semi-fixed feature spaces. According
to the head of the Personnel Services, she took into consideration the personal
development of the staff in the rearrangement of the desks, chairs, cabinets, and other
office equipments. For the chief Budget Officer, this arrangement was adapted to have
an efficient communication and coordination not only within the Budget division but with
the other two offices as well (Personnel and Accounting). The chief Accountant thinks
likewise, however, if given the opportunity she would reconstruct the fixed feature space
and still relocate some of her staff to be positioned in a better area for effective
monitoring.
The superiors in the different offices are observed to be located in a prominent
enclosed area, where they are positioned in a way that they can supervise their
subordinates. These arrangements are true for all with the exception of the heads in
the Budget and Personnel Divisions. Meanwhile, only a few of the Next in lines are
positioned in the offices in such a way that they can directly supervise their
subordinates, this only holds true for the Personnel Division.
There are three ways by which the subordinates are positioned in the office, and
these are the clustered, non-clustered, and partitioned. Clustered subordinates are
even sub-divided into two: those in conversational arrangement and the unidirectional
arrangement.
Subordinates in the clustered conversational arrangement are positioned closer
to each other either side by side or facing each other. This kind of setup somehow
promotes communication, coordination, and control among the superiors and
subordinates. On the other hand, subordinates in the clustered unidirectional
arrangement are positioned to face one direction, which somehow regulates
communication. Thus, the superiors achieve maximum coordination and control.
Majority of the subordinates in the three offices are made to face the traffic mainstream.
The non-clustered subordinates are commonly found on either the outermost part
or in front of the office area nearest the chiefs of the offices. Most of these subordinates
are gatekeepers, front-liners, or acting secretaries of each office. Their locations are
often attributed either to their office function or importance to the head of the office. And
lastly, the partitioned subordinates are those individually separated by cubicles brought
about by their work function. This is found among the subordinates in the office of the
Cash Division.
Several semi-fixed objects are observed to play an important role in shaping
some activities in the office. Such are the filing cabinets that feature the idea of
centrality and importance to the staff. Storage cabinets are also observed to function as
barriers from outsiders. Table 4 shows the concise details of the location of the
occupants, their office function, and nonverbal communication indicators with reference
to the ecological maps shown in figures 4.1-4.2.

Chapter V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND

RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
The degree of complexity was determined by measuring the elements of
horizontal differentiation, vertical differentiation, and spatial dispersion. By measuring
these elements, the studied offices arrived at the following results.
High Degree of Complexity
The Accounting Office was rated with a high degree of complexity because the
three factors resulted in a high degree of differentiation and dispersion. First, majority
or fifty-eight percent (58%) of the staff were classified with a high degree of horizontal
differentiation since they underwent special trainings and seminars conducted on a
rotation basis. Next, there were four hierarchical levels observed but despite this almost
flat structure the wide span or large number of people under the authorities resulted to a
high degree of vertical differentiation. Compared to the Cash Division and Registrar’s
Office, this meant that the staff expected more time from the next in lines. Coordination
was also difficult since there were many levels separating the lowest staff from the chief
of the division. And last, compared to the Registrar’s office and Cash Division, the
Accounting Office had fewer interaction with other offices. However, it was the job
nature involved in the interaction that resulted to a high degree of spatial dispersion.
Majority of the interactions were done on a face-to-face basis, which meant that the
employees were required to go to the different geographical locations regardless of
distance.
Moderate Degree of Complexity
The offices of the University Registrar and Cash Division were rated with a
moderate degree of complexity that could possibly shift toward a high degree. It was
observed that the degrees of horizontal differentiation in these two offices were the
highest among the five offices under study. First, this high degree of job specialization
in the Office of the Registrar was brought about by the increased period of training
required for the nature of work performed by its staff due to the advent of the
computerized registration. On the other hand, the high degree of horizontal
differentiation in the Cash Division was brought about by the intricacy of the job nature
(money matters) performed by its staff.
Second, the organizational setup of the offices showed a flat structure of three
and four levels respectively. Due to this, the subordinates still demanded more time
from the chiefs of the offices since majority were under their jurisdiction. It was noticed
that the high degree of horizontal differentiation led to this increase in vertical
differentiation. Since the work performed by the employees needed constant
supervision, all employees were directed on a one-on-one basis by both the Chief and
Next in line officers. Another reason why the chiefs of these divisions directly
supervised all the employees was that they did not implement the strict hierarchy
suggested by their respective organizational charts.
The third point however, balanced the degree of complexity in the office, since
majority of the geographical locations both offices have interaction with, were all found
within the vicinity of UP Manila and Metro Manila. Despite the differing distances
observed between these offices, the use of technology made transactions relatively
easy.
Low Degree of Complexity
The Budget and Personnel Services were rated with a low degree of complexity.
The following points supported the ratings. First, the two offices differed in the degree
of horizontal differentiation. In the Budget Services, all of the employees were involved
in specialized training, thus a high degree of horizontal differentiation exists. In the
Personnel Services, a low degree of horizontal differentiation exists because majority of
the staff underwent on-the-job training classified as technical training.
Second, both offices achieved a low degree of vertical differentiation. This was
brought about by the few number of staff in the Budget Office hence, the head
frequently assumed a one-on-one basis with her people. As with the Personnel
Services, the chief had her staff divided accordingly and had effectively employed good
people management where she used certain sociological principles. These two offices
also did not implement the strict hierarchical levels as suggested in their respective
organizational charts.
And last, both offices achieved a low degree of spatial dispersion since majority
of their clients were found primarily within UP Manila, and secondly in the Metro Manila
Area. Technological innovations aided in the transactions of the two offices.
Types of Fixed and Semi-Fixed Features
The type of office generally exhibited by those included in the study is the
landscaped design office, which is an alternative to the open-office style. Meanwhile,

the semi-fixed features or semi-fixed objects (75%) observed were greater than the
fixed feature spaces (25%) in all offices. The chiefs of each division all had private
offices with divider walls as partitions and railing walls for the staff. Windows
surrounded most of the offices mainly for transacting purposes.
Feature Spaces in the Superiors’ Area
The locations of the private spaces of the superiors were either in a corner or
within the center of the general office. This was noted to exhibit the role and status of
the owner. Compared to their subordinates, their space was larger and prominently
demarcated by taller fixed boundaries to achieve privacy and suggested authority at the
same time.
It was significant to note that it was only the head of the Personnel Services who
used a traditional desk, compared to the other Chiefs who used executive desks. Solid-
wood Bookcases, which contained personal books, green plants, and ornaments
dominated all of the private spaces. Plush sofas and executive chairs were also
present in these offices. Another office material observed to be widely used in the
Cashier and Registrar’s offices were blinds which covered windows and glass partitions
for privacy purpose. These blinds were pulled back from time to time when the superior
needs to follow the performance of her subordinates.
Feature Spaces in the Subordinates’ and Next-in-lines’ area
The subordinates and next-in-line officers in majority of the offices mainly used
flat-top rectangular desks or traditional desks. It was also observed that acting
secretaries of all the offices used an L-shape desk or compiled traditional desks that
formed a table similar to the L-shape desk. Most of the employees were also observed
to use computer furniture, because they claimed that the personal computer was a very
valuable tool for their job performance. Along with this type of furniture, the computer
chair was widely used in all offices because of its comfortable texture and ease of
movement facilitation. And as with any office, filing cabinets were widely used and even
placed in strategic locations within each office. Machine stands, letter trays, and
wastebaskets were also present in all offices.
Arrangement of the Fixed and Semi-fixed Features
The private spaces of the different superiors were positioned either in the corner
or at the center of the whole office area, both with the largest floor area occupied.
Meanwhile, the tables of the Next in line officers were prominently located directly
opposite or adjacent to the superiors on the other side of the office. Compared to the
superiors, they are more commonly found nearest the subordinates’ area although not
entirely facing them.
The workstations of the subordinates were positioned in three ways, the
clustered, non-clustered, and partitioned. In turn, the clustered category was
subdivided into two, and these were the conversational arrangement and the
unidirectional arrangement. In the offices studied majority of the subordinates’
workstations were arranged in the clustered unidirectional arrangement.
Distance and Territory

The concept of territory was evident but not pronounced, although there were
different manifestations of private spaces regardless of position in the offices. The so-
called “imaginary doors” prevented outsiders from willfully entering the area of a
superior, however the respondents did not emphasize this. As with the subordinates,
the proximity of their desks and workstations served as their boundaries from other
people. This was the reason why no one used the table of another employee except if it
was originally unoccupied.
CONCLUSION
The study found that only the horizontal and vertical differentiation elements are
reflected in the fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces in the offices.
The study also found out that the degree of complexity is still reflected in the
spatial arrangement of the office even with or without the criterion, which is the
manipulation of the fixed and semi-fixed features done by some of the respondents
included in the study.
There are two angles by which the degree of horizontal and vertical
differentiation can be reflected on the fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces in the office,
and these are the types and arrangement of the feature spaces. At this point however, the
type of fixed and semi-fixed features in the different offices is not sufficient to answer the
main problem of the study. This is due to the fact that the types remained similar
despite the differing degrees of complexity the five offices are rated with that is why not
much favorable results are yielded from this angle. However, the arrangement of the
fixed and semi-fixed features does vary with the degree of complexity existing in the office.
The higher the degree of complexity in the office, the more uniform the placement of
objects are.
The focus of the highly complex organization is the work output and efficiency.
That is why most semi-fixed objects are placed in a linear unidirectional fashion. Thus,
the quality and quantity of communication is limited. Aside from this, the highly complex
office is structured in a way that the office of the superior is either facing the whole staff
or just about in the right position to quickly view everyone to make supervision easier.
This also goes for the offices with moderate degrees of complexity. Compared to an
office with a low degree of complexity, most of these types of offices have their
subordinates arranged in a clustered conversational arrangement. Their focus is more
on people management, that is why the placement of semi-fixed objects does not only
depend on the ease of work flow but also on personnel development. Organizational
hierarchy and direct supervision by the superiors are not strictly enforced in these types
of offices.
With further regard to arrangement, the seating position is primarily brought
about by the function of the occupant rather than on any unconscious attempt to elicit
nonverbal messages.
IMPLICATIONS
It is true that the more complex an organization is, the more communication,
control, and coordination are required to achieve organizational effectiveness. However

in the results of the study, much coordination and control resulted to decreased
productive communication brought about by the unidirectional arrangement of desks.
Another is the idea that the highly complex organization tends to focus more on
the work output and efficiency, however this idea is not the gist of what complexity is.
Taking complexity to a higher level, one discovers that it is not just the pursuit of
company productivity and efficiency but it is, at the same time, the development of the
employee as central to the objectives of the organization. Giving the work force an
identity within the organizational system gives them the ability, confidence, and
determination to work for corporate efficiency and productivity thus making the
organization effective.
Organizations are also governed by guidelines manifested by company policies
and manuals especially the government offices, which rely on bureaucratic principles.
One particular guideline set is the use of traditional organizational charts to outline the
formal working relationships of people in the organization. In this study however, most
of the hierarchies are stripped down to promote “realistic” communication between
superiors and subordinates. If this is the case for the modern government office, then
workers are considered as team members and not strictly subordinates. Through this
setting, government employees would rid themselves of certain Filipino mentalities they
are long stereotyped with thus improving company image and customer satisfaction.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are proposed for future researchers who are
interested to tackle certain variables presented in this paper. First, it will be a challenge
for the future Organizational Theory (OT) researcher to develop valid but not entirely
elaborate measures for determining complexity. The goal is to answer the question:
How can I determine whether an organization is high, moderate, or low in complexity?
Perhaps the use of quantitative measure is advised, but bear in mind that the constant
change in the internal and external environment of the organization prohibits an exact
measurement of the degrees of differentiation and dispersion. That is why it is also
advised to collect additional data to demonstrate similarity of groups acquired, thus
furthering the justification of the reliability of the study.
Second, the next researcher must aim to sample a greater number of offices with
similar job nature if possible. For instance, sample five Accounting offices in five
different companies. Studying the five departments in the College of Arts and Sciences
UP Manila, private organizations, NGO’s, and other government institutions are also
advised for future samples.
Third, since complexity is just one aspect in understanding the Organizational
Structure of an organization, future researchers must tackle the other variables, such as
formalization and centralization.
And last, knowing that the design used for this study showed ample fields to
cover for future research, it is suggested that the use of an experimental research
design be employed to bring this study to a higher level of analysis.


Complexity As Reflected in The Feature Spaces of An Office

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Complexity As Reflected in The Feature Spaces of An Office

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Complexity as Reflected in the Feature Spaces of an Office Emmanuela Corazon Laurel i

CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM 1

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM 4

SCOPE OF THE STUDY 5

STUDY FRAMEWORK GRID 7

METHODS AND PROCEDURES 23

SAMPLE AND POPULATION 24

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 28

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MANILA 28

THE UP MANILA ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 29

PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS 35

COMPLEXITY IN THE OFFICES 35

THE PROXIMATE ENVIRONMENT OF THE OFFICE 48

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 59

A Place for everything and

Everything in its place …

--- Samuel Smiles (1812-1904)

CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM

communication processes are affected by the proper arrangement of certain objects in

the office layout. Thus, to promote efficient communicative performance between

arrangement of the proximate environment of an organization. However, most

a cause of communication breakdown in the office.

organizational behavior. Thus, there is the tendency to arrange objects in space to

Studying communication in the proximate environment of the office involves several

complexity can be manifested in the office feature spaces arrangement. In this

particular study, it intends to answer the problem stated below.

1. What is the degree of complexity existing in the organization?

a. How specialized are the jobs in the office?

b. What is the existing hierarchy of authority in the office?

2. What is the existing layout of the office?

a. What fixed features are present?

b. What semi-fixed features are present?

a. To what department/ group do they belong?

b. What are the roles/ positions of the occupants?

1. To determine the degree of complexity of the organization

a. Determine how specialized the jobs in the office are;

b. Determine the existing hierarchy of authority in the office;

2. To determine and describe the existing layout of the office

a. Determine the fixed features present;

b. Determine the semi-fixed features present;

a. Determine the department/ group where they belong;

b. Determine the roles/ positions of the occupants.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROBLEM

in fact be controlled through certain prerequisites that need to be accomplished by

guided in their work and communication patterns in the office.

workers in arranging their offices. Nevertheless, some also depend on the

organizational structure, since it is a powerful guiding tool in facilitating a good flow of

organizational structure in the office space arrangement is valuable in the process of

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

against the variables of fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces.

communication structure event to serve as supplement to the concept of organizational

were significant to the discussion of the problem statement.

observation were considered.

independent variable was only the concept of complexity.

underscores culturally bounded norms and measures, it is therefore impossible to come

the non-behavioral aspect of nonverbal codes commonly known as artifactual

fixed and semi-fixed feature spaces.

STUDY FRAMEWORK GRID

Independent Intervening Dependent

Theoretical Organizational Communication

An organization is the planned coordination of the collective activities of two or

message-channel-receiver-effect) Process of Communication be discussed.