Well, you add "open office" into a toxic environment, of course it becomes more toxic. There is no place to hide from the toxicity.

When you are dealing with inept managers, have all sides of you exposed to them at all times does not make you more open to discussing things. It makes you feal very threatened.

So, its really not the "open office" that is the problem it is the bad environment.

And radical transparency only works if things at all levels can be called out. But, in today's environment, we find that the CEO can be an open pedo child trafficker, but you better keep cranking out those useless documents or else.