The two plans below compare the layout of a typical Japanese office and a typical American office.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
» Write at least 150 words.
Sample Answer
The floor plans illustrate two distinct office layouts, one typical of Japanese design and the other representative of American style.
Overall, the office layout in Japan tends to be designed to facilitate a hierarchical yet communal working environment, with the provision of only tables and chairs. In contrast, the American office provides individual workspaces and incorporates additional rooms for specific functions.
In a typical Japanese office, the department manager’s desk is located at the head of the office where they can overlook the employees in the room. In front of the department managers desk are two section manager desks, one on either side of the room. Likewise, the section managers are able to monitor their subordinates sitting at a block of six desks in front of them.
On the other hand, the department manager’s working space in an average American office is situated in one corner of the room, adjacent to which are two section manager offices. Meanwhile, the staff desks are individually organized in rows in the middle of the office space. Unlike the Japanese office, that of the American includes a printer room, storage space, and two conference rooms on the opposite side of the room. Finally, the latter typically has more windows than the former, with large windows installed on two sides of the room.
Word count: 218
