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The purpose of this study is to estimate an empirical model for new office space development starts, based on the theoretical treatment of urban growth. The study introduces a new parameter, namely, office space-usage pattern, to the office space development equation and tests whether developers respond to non-price measures in deciding to commence new developments.

The study first introduces a co-integration approach based on an error correction model to test for long-run relations and short-run dynamics of new office space development. A multivariate regression model is then introduced to identify significant determinants that influence office development starts. The study uses annual data over a time span of 30 years.

Estimated results provide strong evidence that the newly introduced parameter exerts a positive impact on new office space development. It suggests that if the average floor space per employee changes by one percentage point, new office development starts would change by 1.5 percentage point, indicating even a marginal change in floor-space usage per employee (SPE) would have a significant impact on new office space development. Empirical estimates also suggest a strong response of office development starts to the lagged land supply and office space stock.

The paper raises the concern about the importance of non-price measures of the supply-side of the office market. There is scope to address the research questions using better data sets. It is also possible to model the supply adjustment process more dynamically in an error correction framework.

The findings would suggest that non-price measures, such as space-usage pattern, need to be taken into account when planning and estimating future office space needs. This finding provides valuable insight for our current knowledge on factors affecting new office supply.

This is the first study to introduce office floor space usage as a determinant of office development starts in an urban growth conceptual framework for the Hong Kong office market.

This paper studies which aggregate socio‐economic factors determine the long run entry and exit process of the retail sector at the provincial level by using a data set of 30 provinces over eight years (1985–1992). The following results are obtained: (1) All predictor variables, especially population growth rate, average wage rate and employees per store, have statistically significant effects on the entry and exit process. Per capita national income, store per capita, average wage, mobility are significant in accounting for the variations in sales per store. (2) The 1988 austerity programme only affected the short run variable, sales per store but not the long run variable, store per capita. This suggests that the short run recession induced by the austerity programme could not affect the long term trend of the retail sector.

Corporate campuses have been justified on many grounds, including lower operational costs, greater flexibility, stronger corporate branding and enhanced cross‐functional communication. Despite the tens of millions of dollars spent to acquire and develop them, little research exists that has systematically tested the validity of the benefits attributed to a corporate campus. This paper reports on an initial set of case studies examining one potential benefit of a corporate campus: the nature and extent of communication across organisational units. The results suggest that the amount of cross‐unit communication on a corporate campus may be less than expected. Implications for workplace and collocation strategies are discussed.

To model the floorspace demand of office‐based organisations in which employees spend periods of time working at off‐site locations, and identify the scope for efficiency improvements.

The paper compares the experience gained in applying an innovative method of space‐planning in practice, with mathematical simulations of activity‐space scenarios. Both approaches are described.

Experience in practice demonstrates that significant reductions can be made in the floorspace demand of many office‐based organisations, but the simulations show that is not feasible to achieve a perfect activity‐space “fit” when the pattern of activities is uncertain. Space‐time management becomes increasingly critical as office floorspace is used more efficiently.

Shows that there are opportunities for reducing the floorspace demand of most organisations compared to current usage, but there is a limit on achievable efficiency gains.

Introduction Consider a hi‐fi loudspeaker manufacturing company acquired on the brink of insolvency by an American multinational. The new owners discover with growing concern that the product range is obsolete, that manufacturing facilities are totally inadequate and that there is a complete absence of any real management substance or structure. They decide on the need to relocate urgently so as to provide continuity of supply at the very high — a market about to shrink at a rate unprecedented in its history.

One of the common law duties owed by the employer is his duty to take reasonable care for the safety of his employee. This common law duty is an implied term in the contract of employment and is therefore contractual in nature. Because of the difficulties which may arise in bringing an action in contract for breach of the employer's duty of care, the employee who has sustained injuries during the course of his employment (although he may sue either in contract of tort will normally bring a tort action.

A distinction must be drawn between a dismissal on the one hand, and on the other a repudiation of a contract of employment as a result of a breach of a fundamental term of that contract. When such a repudiation has been accepted by the innocent party then a termination of employment takes place. Such termination does not constitute dismissal (see London v. James Laidlaw & Sons Ltd (1974) IRLR 136 and Gannon v. J. C. Firth (1976) IRLR 415 EAT).

This special issue of Facilities on “Strategic Issues for Facilities Managers” is very different in style from the editor‐generated issues of this journal, but it has been designed to achieve a particular purpose. It focuses on the business issues about which facilities managers need to be aware in order to plan the most effective deployment of corporate physical assets. In order that readers can acquire a good understanding of a wide variety of topics in a short period of time, the material is presented in the form of précis and short articles.

Technological innovations and IT developments have been hailed as the key influence on changing work‐styles. However, the workplace is being shaped more and more by people and their needs. Supported by industry research, this paper aims to identify and explore some of the various elements and forces that have an impact on the space planning process.

The paper gathers current thought leadership, trends and external research together with the author's research, comments and opinions on optimizing space management. Global workplace trends are compared to author's observations in Dubai.

Real estate costs, building attributes, space planning concepts, technology and product innovations for the workplace are examined, as they have an influence on the role of people in the workplace. A case study provides the background and details of a revolutionary work‐style – iWork, developed by Sun Microsystems, and shows how it was adapted to meet the requirements of their regional headquarters in Dubai.

The current phenomenal growth of Dubai could impact some cited statistics over a short period of time.

The paper offers guidelines and ideas for facilities managers to assess the possibility of adopting similar space planning and work‐style programmes within their own organisations.

Aside from the practical space planning guidelines, the paper also offers facility managers an introductory insight the challenges of establishing an office in Dubai – one of the fastest growing economies and cities in the world.

This book is a policy proposal aimed at the democratic left. It is concerned with gradual but radical reform of the socio‐economic system. An integrated policy of industrial and economic democracy, which centres around the establishment of a new sector of employee‐controlled enterprises, is presented. The proposal would retain the mix‐ed economy, but transform it into a much better “mixture”, with increased employee‐power in all sectors. While there is much of enduring value in our liberal western way of life, gross inequalities of wealth and power persist in our society.