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The purpose of this paper is to describe different short-distance relocation management approaches applied by organisations in Finland. Corporate short-distance relocation is a significant event in the course of an organisation’s lifetime. While these kinds of relocations happen frequently, they are an infrequent event from the perspective of a single organisation. Therefore, few organisations have experience and knowledge on relocation management, which can result in improvised ways of managing the process.

The paper uses a multiple-case study approach where the relocation management of five organisations is assessed post-relocation. Different aspects of the process, such as process phases and tasks, the organisation involved and employee participation, are scrutinized through 32 interviews with company representatives and documents provided by the organisations.

The study describes five unique relocations that vary based on the level of change from a “routine move” to a “new beginning”. It further identifies four different models of managing the process: “one-man-show”, “orchestra”, “expert taskforce” and “democracy”.

While previous studies have focused on either site selection decision-making or design of an already chosen space, the study describes five relocation processes that start from the relocation trigger and end when the organisation has relocated and settled into their new space.

The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of the management of office relocations in Finnish organisations with a focus on the use of, and need for, external advisory services.

The study used a sequential mixed method approach. First, the use of relocation-related services, and organisations’ perception of the need for them, was assessed through a questionnaire sent to all organisations with more than 50 employees in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (HMA). The data includes 83 responses. Subsequently, service experiences, perceived service needs, and the challenges that organisations face in relocation are studied through thematic interviews with 15 organisations that have recently relocated.

The findings show that, despite facing many challenges when relocating, many organisations do not consider using external service providers. Most organisations do not acknowledge the complexity of the process until afterwards, and they also lack knowledge of the availability of relocation-related services.

The main limitation is the population size of the questionnaire. A larger population would have allowed for more generalisations, but the results do provide insight into the organisations’ issues in managing their relocations.

In order to facilitate the better organisational relocation experiences, and to develop the market for relocation-related services, service providers need to begin educating organisations of the challenges and opportunities of relocation, and successively increase the awareness of the availability of services.

Relocation, when it is considered in the literature, is most often construed as being about location, or site selection. This study approaches the phenomenon from the organisations’ perspective and considers relocation a process that needs to be managed.

This study aims to identify research gaps on workplace relocation, through investigating and critiquing the published literature, in the facilities management (FM) and real estate management (REM) domains, over three decades.

An extensive literature review was conducted, using academic search engines, using qualitative analysis software, in the domains of FM and REM, on workplace relocation, from 1990 to 2020, chronologically. The paper proposes future research directions through a maturity matrix.

Several gaps in workplace relocation research were identified, including the need for a wide-ranging coverage of workplace relocation lifecycle, a review and assessment of factors affecting workplace relocation over its lifecycle, studies on large organizations mobility, studies of international experiences on workplace relocation, absence of a holistic framework for the workplace relocation process and digital tools and solutions to facilitate the processes. A three levels maturity matrix for future research, proposing the adoption of qualitative, quantitative and applications research approaches, was presented.

This study enlists a chronological comprehension of knowledge obtained from the review of the internationally published literature. The research investigated and identified gaps, gripping for future research efforts.

This study reviews 30 years of published literature on workplace relocation and proposes topics for advancing future research, collectively.

Corporate relocation is a rare event in the history of an individual company. The choices related to location, building and workplace constitute major long-term strategic decisions that determine the company’s future operating environment. However, business decision-makers often do not evaluate all the aspects of relocation before making relocation decisions. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to systemise the knowledge behind corporate relocation and the strategic qualities and impacts of these choices.

This conceptual paper is based on a comprehensive literature review of 74 articles on the strategic qualities of short-distance corporate relocation of knowledge-intensive firms. Based on the review insights, a conceptual model of the strategic operational qualities for work environment selection is developed.

This paper identifies three strategic layers of physical environment change, namely, location, building and physical work environment, which need to be considered when deciding to relocate. Corporate relocation affects a company through five operational qualities, namely, staff productivity, costs, employee retention and availability, operational changes and organisational culture.

Relocation is a complex process for an individual company. Justifying choices based on direct costs can lead to unexpected changes in indirect costs for the company. This paper helps decision-makers understand the strategic importance of corporate relocation, identify relocation goals and plan successful relocation.

This paper uses a strategy and organisation lens to provide a systematic overview and synthesis of the strategic qualities of short-distance corporate relocation of knowledge-intensive firms.

There is an increased interest for introducing activity-based offices at universities. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the knowledge about the importance of the built environment for the psychosocial work environment within academia by analyzing how staff at a large Swedish university experienced the physical and psychosocial work environment before and after moving to activity-based offices.

A Web-based survey was distributed to all employees at two faculties at a university three months before (2015, n = 217, response rate 51 per cent) and nine months after (2016, n = 200, response rate 47 per cent) relocation to a new activity-based university building.

In the new premises, a vast majority (86 per cent) always occupied the same place when possible, and worked also more often from home. The social community at work had declined and social support from colleagues and supervisors was perceived to have decreased. The participants reported a lower job satisfaction after the relocation and were more likely to seek new jobs. No aspects in the physical or psychosocial work environment were found to have improved after the relocation.

The study had a two-wave cross-sectional design, which does not allow establishing causal relations.

There is reason to be cautious about relocation to activity-based offices at universities. The potential savings in costs for premises may lead to may be followed by an increase in other costs. The risk that staff cannot concentrate on their work in activity-based university workplaces and lose their sense of community with colleagues are factors, which in the long run may lead to decreased efficiency, more conflicts and poorer well-being.

This paper contributes with new knowledge concerning changes in the physical and psychosocial work environment when relocating from cell offices to activity-based offices in a university setting.

The purpose of this paper is to deal with two major issues: what alternatives does a manufacturing company have when current office space use is not sufficient, or it exceeds its needs, following changes and business transformation; and second, what principal factors (in particular Facilities and Corporate Real Estate Management factors) must be taken into account in the decision‐making process about possible relocation? The corporate real estate of manufacturing firms in the Western countries is very much similar to that of the service sector. When compared to property devoted to service activities only, the inertia of manufacturing companies is apparent only, because a large part of the premises are in fact offices that, to various extent, are connected to warehouses, laboratories, factories and manufacturing units that cannot be relocated. For this reason it is necessary to devise intermediate alternatives between staying on the current location or total relocation.

This paper is based on literature studies of company locations in a European and global context, with two independent surveys from two different geographical areas: northern Italy and Sweden. Despite the different aspects considered in the surveys, common conclusions can be made for a general understanding of how facilities management factors influence location.

The model described in this paper organizes location alternatives when space changes are required, especially by European manufacturing companies.

The model is a tool for decision makers when analysing and structuring their location needs.

The paper is a pioneering work of classification of intermediate alternatives of partial relocation.

This research investigates the literature and perspectives of bilateral domains of experts, the facilities management (FM) and real estate management (REM) professionals. It provides insights towards a comprehensive understanding of office facilities relocation as organizational workplaces.

An investigation of the literature was conducted, to identify design aspects, drivers, challenges, and technical and functional considerations of the workplace relocation. A structured survey was utilized, as face-to-face interviews with 32 FM and 32 REM professionals, to explore and compare their perspectives and expertise.

The study identified key aspects for workplace relocation that were rarely focused on, holistically, in the literature. The research led to identifying the drivers, challenges, considerations, scenarios, and design needs pertaining to the implementation, acquisition, and occupation of the workplace in times of relocation. There is a dispersed view on workplace relocation between FM and REM, which requires alignment. FM and REM experts' perspectives were intrinsically discussed to ascertain the identified key areas.

Workplace relocation is a change that disturbs almost every workplace around the globe, at least once in its life cycle. This study enlists comprehension of the knowledge obtained from a review of the international literature, to provide a holistic guide for organizational decision makers, and interlink FM and REM professionals' perspectives, for enhanced decision-making.

This article reviews the literature on workplace relocation, covering FM and REM domains perspectives to advance the organizational workplace relocation practices.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.