Men and women prefer single sex offices - but are MORE productive when they work with the opposite gender¹, study claims

研究表明，男女都喜欢单性办公室。但男女搭配会带来更高的工作效率。

Study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology claims men and women are happier in single sex offices

麻省理工的研究称，人们在单性办公室感觉更快乐

However, they're more productive when sharing space with the other gender

但男女混合办公室的办公效率更高

The researchers looked at a US employee survey from 1995 to 2002

研究人员从1995年到2002年对美国员工做了调查

Overall single sex offices reported being happier

总的来说，单性办公室的人感觉更快乐

But the study found that mixed sex offices would turn a larger profit

但是研究发现，男女混合办公室带来的利润会更大

By DAN BATES Dr Sara Ellison, a senior economics lecturer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who co-authored the study, said: ‘We all think that we want to be in this pluralistic society in a diverse setting.

这项研究的合著者麻省理工学院的经济学高级讲师萨拉•埃里森博士说：‘我们都想在这个多元社会实现我们各自不同的追求。

‘But when push comes to shove, when our co-workers don’t think like we do, that can cause some friction². ‘

但真正相处起来，我们的同事却并不像我们所想的那样，会有些摩擦。

‘ liked the idea of diversity more than they liked actual diversity’.

‘同事们的各种想法均超乎现实实际’。

The researchers looked at a US employee survey from an unnamed Boston professional services company carried out between 1995 and 2002.

美国波士顿专业服务公司一位不愿透露姓名的研究人员对1995年到2002年间的员工进行了观察调查。

The firm had 60 offices around the world, some of which were men-only, and some were women-only.

这家服务公司在世界各地有60个办公室，其中一些办公室只有男性，有些办公室只有女性。

The survey measured cooperation, trust and work enjoyment³, and the researchers cross-checked the data with figures on company revenue and diversity.

这项调查衡量了合作性、信任度和工作的乐趣，并且研究人员反复核对了公司的收入情况和多样性的各种想法。

Overall, single sex offices reported being happier, but there was a twist when it came to company profits.

总的来说，单性办公室的人感觉更幸福更快乐，但是公司在盈利利润方面有困难。

The researchers found that if single sex offices had been mixed sex then revenue would have gone up by about 41 per cent.

研究人员发现，如果单性办公室变成男女混合性的办公室其收入会大约上涨了41%。

Dr Anne Litwin, a Boston organisational development consultant⁴, said that she was not surprised by the findings.

波士顿组织发展顾问安妮•利特温博士说，她对这项研究发现并不感到意外。

She said men in particular found it harder with women around because they had to watch what they say, and that 'they feel like their equilibrium⁵ is being thrown off, and it’s uncomfortable.

她说，特别是周围有女性的男性其处境会比较不爽，因为男性要注意女性的看法，他们感觉自己总遭冷落，而且感觉不舒服不平等。

Dr Litwin added that women by contrast ‘feel like they have to be assertive⁶ to be heard, and then they get accused of being the "B" word. They get told that they’re hard to work with.’

利特温博士还说，女性反而觉得自己的谈话内容男性们一定是已经听进去了，被男性骂Bitch，还说女人很难对付。

However, the research challenges the theory that happier workers are more productive.

无论如何，这一研究挑战了在快乐的气氛下办公，员工的办公效率更高的这个理论。