Editing Cubicle (section)

{{For|cubicles in toilet stalls|public toilet}}{{short description|Office furniture meant to allow for concentration}}
[[File:CubeSpace.jpg|thumb|250px|Empty cubicles in an office]]
[[File:Cubicles.shop.jpg|thumb|3D model of cubicles]]
[[File:Digital carrel classroom.webp|thumb|3D model of cubicles in the classroom to get power to the desk and [[computers in the classroom]] for a [[Computational thinking#Computational education|computational education]]]]
A '''cubicle''' is a partially enclosed [[office]] workspace that is separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually {{convert|5|-|6|ft}} tall.<ref>{{Cite book |last=K.N |first=Dr Shoba |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZoLkBQAAQBAJ&dq=cubicle+is+a+partially+enclosed+office+workspace+that+is+separated+from+neighboring+workspaces+by+partitions+that+are+usually+5%E2%80%936+feet+(1.5%E2%80%931.8+m)+tall.&pg=PT56 |title=Vocabulary 2.0: Smart Words of the 21st Century |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-93-84049-15-7 |language=en}}</ref> Its purpose is to isolate office workers and managers from the sights and noises of an [[Open plan|open workspace]] so that they may concentrate with fewer distractions. Cubicles are composed of modular elements such as walls, work surfaces, overhead bins, drawers, and shelving, which can be configured depending on the user's needs. Installation is generally performed by trained personnel, although some cubicles allow configuration changes to be performed by users without specific training.

Cubicles in the 2010s and 2020s are usually equipped with a computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse on the work surface. Cubicles typically have a desk phone. Since many offices use overhead [[fluorescent light]]s to illuminate the office, cubicles may or may not have lamps or other additional lighting. Other furniture often found in cubicles includes [[office chair|office chairs]] and [[filing cabinet|filing cabinets]].

The office cubicle was created by designer [[Robert Propst (inventor)|Robert Propst]] in Scottsdale, AZ for [[Herman Miller (manufacturer)|Herman Miller]], and released in 1967 under the name "[[Action Office]] II".<ref>{{Cite web |title=LIVE ACTION: Inventor Robert Propst and the History of the Modern Cubicle |url=https://archive.pinupmagazine.org/articles/the-story-of-action-office-2-and-cubicle-inventor-robert-propst-herman-miller |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=archive.pinupmagazine.org |language=en}}</ref> Although cubicles are often seen as being symbolic of work in a modern office setting due to their uniformity and blandness, they afford the employee a greater degree of privacy and personalization than in previous work environments, which often consisted of desks lined up in rows within an open room.<ref name="autogenerated2005"/><ref name="autogenerated1998"/> They do so at a lower cost than individual, private offices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diaz |first1=Jesus |title=The real reason your company switched to an open plan office |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90220029/the-real-reason-your-company-switched-to-an-open-plan-office |access-date=17 August 2018 |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |date=17 August 2018}}</ref>  In some office cubicle workspaces, employees can decorate the walls of their cubicle with posters, pictures and other items.

A cubicle is also called a '''cubicle desk''', '''office cubicle,''' '''cubicle workstation''', or simply a '''cube'''.  An [[office]] filled with cubicles is sometimes called a '''sea of cubicles''', and additionally called '''pods''' (such as 4-pod or 8-pod of cubes)<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirsner |first=Scott |date=1 August 2004 |title=Time (Zone) Travelers |newspaper=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]] |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/85/zones.html |access-date=4 May 2012}}</ref> or a '''cube farm'''. Although humorous, the phrase usually has negative connotations.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Technology |first1=Copyright © Massachusetts Institute of |last2=reserved |first2=1977-2023 All rights |date=2020-11-25 |title=Enter the Cube Farm |url=https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/enter-the-cube-farm/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=MIT Sloan Management Review |language=en-US}}</ref> Cube farms are found in multiple industries including [[technology]], [[insurance]], and [[Public administration|government offices]].