Which of the following statements about offices is NOT true according to the talk?

When we talk about modern company, we usually have managers, employees, products, research development or marketing in mind. However, in reality, a company is not just made up of these elements. There are other things that make a company what it is. This morning, we’re going to look at some other aspects of a company. Let’s first take a look at the offices.
    The physical surroundings of most modern companies, especially offices, are becoming more and more similar. Although there are some differences from country to country, one office looks much like another. Office furniture and equipment tend to be similar: desks, chairs, filing cabinets, computers, etc. What is important about offices, you may ask? Well, the atmosphere of the work place can often influence the effectiveness of a company’s employees. Modern offices are more spacious and better lit, heated, ventilated and air-conditioned than in the past.
    But of course this is a feature that varies from firm to firm and may be dependent on the size of the company and its corporate philosophy. In some companies, the employees work in large open plain offices without walls between the departments. In others, the staff members work more privately in individual offices. No matter what the office layout is like, modern companies pay special attention to the physical surroundings in order to create an atmosphere conducive to higher working efficiency.
    Another related point when talking about offices is the work relations with other people at the place of work. They include relationships with fellow employees, workers or colleagues. A great part of work or job satisfaction, some people say the major portion, comes from getting on with others’ work. Work relations will also include those between management and employees. These relations are not always straightforward, particularly as the management’s assessment of how your performing can be crucial to your future career.
    Now I’d like to say a bit more about the relations between management and employees. There are also matters about which employees want to talk to the management. In small businesses, the boss will probably work alongside his or her workers. Anything that needs to be sought out will be done face to face as soon the problem arises. There will be no formal meetings or procedures. But the larger the business, the less direct contact there will be between employees and management. Special meetings have to be held and procedures set up to say when, where, how and in what circumstances the employees can talk to the management. Some companies have specially organized consultative committees for this purpose. In many countries of the world today, particularly in large firms, employees join the trade union and ask the union to represent them to the management. Through the union, all categories of employees can pass on the complaints they have and try to get things changed.
    The process through which unions negotiate with the management on behalf of their members is called collective bargaining. Instead of each employee trying to bargain alone with the company, the employees join together and collectively put forward their views. Occasionally, the firm will refuse to recognize the right of the union to negotiate for its members and the dispute over union recognition will arise. Where there is disagreement, bargaining or negotiation will take place.
    A compromise agreement may be reached. Where this is not possible, the sides can go to arbitration and bring in a third party from outside to say what they think should happen. However, sometimes, one of the sides decides to take industrial action. The management can lock out the employees or prevent them from coming to work. It used to be quite common, but it’s rarely used today.
    The main courses of action open to a trade union are strike, a ban on working overtime, working to rule, that is, when employees work according to the company’s rule book. Go-slows, which means the employees may spend more time doing the same job and picketing, which means the employees stand outside the entrance to the business location, holding up signs to show that they’re in conflict with the management. Every country has its own tradition of industrial relations, so it’s difficult to generalize. In some businesses, unions are not welcomed by the management, but in others, the unions play an important role both in the everyday working relations of individual companies and also in the social and political life of the country.