Men, Women Disagree On Office Furniture Prestige

Overall, men rated a big desk as the most prestigious piece of office furniture. Conversely, this matter of office furniture status might as well have been a pink flamingo to women, who ranked it dead last on their list, according to a survey conducted by office furniture maker The HON Company.

In fact, the only thing the two agreed on when it comes to office furniture stature is the importance of a comfortable, adjustable chair, something both sexes ranked number two on the prestige poll. After that, though, the two groups once again diverged. Men ranked matching office furniture and new office furniture number three and four, respectively, to round out the list, whereas women listed new office furniture and a big desk, respectively, at the bottom two slots.

“Our offices say a lot about us, and it’s clear that for men and women, what matters is not the same,” said Dave Burdakin, president of The HON Company. “These results also substantiate a trend we’ve seen – that both men and women want to be able to customize their own office environments.”

The personalization was most evident in pictures of loved ones for women and men. More than a third of both males and females said the one thing that says the most about them personally in their office or cubicle is their photos of the spouse and kids.