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1 – 10 of 858Abiodun Olatunji Abisuga, Cynthia Changxin Wang and Riza Yosia Sunindijo
This study aims to explore the various approaches used in the general customer service industry to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the responses of facility managers…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the various approaches used in the general customer service industry to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the responses of facility managers to user post-occupancy feedback.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses conceptual analysis based on a comprehensive review of relevant literature.
Findings
The results of the study established 24 propositions which are categorised under organisational response dimensions specific to facilities management (FM): timeliness, facilitation, redress, apology, credibility of explanation, attentiveness, effort and their relationships with overall satisfaction and post-feedback behaviour, such as word of mouth and acceptance to continue using the facilities.
Research limitations/implications
The established propositions are derived from existing theories using a deductive approach. The framework can be further enhanced to suit various applications in FM services.
Practical implications
This conceptual framework is a generic model, appropriate to many FM scenarios. The framework can be used to develop standard policies and procedures to foster and encourage collaborative relationships between users and facility managers. It reinforces transparency and trust between facility managers and users during the operation and management of the facilities, and improves FM effectiveness, facility performance and user post-occupancy experience.
Originality/value
In the FM area, no systematic approach has been previously established to evaluate and improve the response process to the users’ feedback. The proposed framework is a pioneer contribution in this area.
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Junaidah Jailani, Richard Reed and Kimberley James
The purpose of this paper is to address two major challenges faced by sustainable building owners: first, address the gap between an occupant’s expectations of sustainable…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address two major challenges faced by sustainable building owners: first, address the gap between an occupant’s expectations of sustainable building outcomes and what the building actually provides and second, overcome the lack of user knowledge about sustainability design and operation for a particular with regards to performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a focus group approach to investigate the gap between: user expectations and sustainable building performance. The study surveyed occupants of sustainable office buildings in Melbourne, Australia.
Findings
There is no significant relationship between users’ expectations and users’ experience of sustainable building performance and users’ knowledge about sustainability and the building they were worked in.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to sustainable office buildings. New office buildings seeking to incorporate sustainability which need to focus on the needs of tenants in order to maximise value.
Practical implications
There is an urgent need to ensure sustainable office buildings meet the needs of present and future occupiers without compromising short and long-term occupier satisfaction levels with regards to sustainability and operation of the building.
Social implications
Increasing the level of sustainability in office buildings has been a major trend over the past decade however the tenants need to be consulted in the post-occupancy phase.
Originality/value
Little attention has been given in the property management literature to sustainable office buildings and value drivers. This is an original and innovative study, partly due to the recent developments in sustainable buildings.
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Abiodun Olatunji Abisuga, Cynthia Changxin Wang and Riza Yosia Sunindijo
This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These attributes are then consolidated for developing a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) framework in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of the literature on the POE of higher education buildings is conducted.
Findings
This study identifies 36 facility performance attributes in higher education buildings, which can be categorised into four dimensions: ambient; spatial; technology; and building support and services requirements. These facility performance attributes need to meet user requirements to achieve satisfactory feedback. It is also important to note that user requirements differ from one learning space to another; thus, it is essential to consider the characteristics of individual learning spaces.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed evaluation framework is context-based and may not be suitable to evaluate other types of buildings. It may be further extended and enhanced to meet other facility management evaluation needs.
Practical implications
The POE framework developed in this research can be used to generate facilities management analytic to inform future design and improve existing higher education facilities.
Originality/value
This research has developed a holistic POE framework tool to meet user requirements in higher education buildings.
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Matti Christersson, Christopher Heywood and Peggie Rothe
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social impacts of short-distance office relocation that also involved a new way of working, as perceived by employees during a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the social impacts of short-distance office relocation that also involved a new way of working, as perceived by employees during a relocation process. Relocation is any process of moving business premises and can consist of (often) significant change in locality, building change, workplace change and ways of working. This case study was not influenced by the effect of locality change making it hence a short-distance relocation.
Design/methodology/approach
The social impacts are analysed based on the perceptions of approximately 15 per cent (nine employees) of the case organization across the relocation process – two months before, one week before and four months after the move. The qualitative data collection is conducted by semi-structured interviews, supplemented by diaries and participatory action research.
Findings
Before the relocation, the subject organization’s old premises were considered inadequate. Still, employees had concerns during the process about the new open office environment including the adoption of new ways of working. Some employees did experience resistance towards the change, although the amount of engagement possibilities was deemed sufficient and engagement recognized as an important part of the process. After the relocation, adaptation was considered easier than originally anticipated and experiences of improved inter-team collaboration were reported by most while others experienced just the opposite, pointing out to emerging individual differences.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study arise mainly from the ability to statistically generalize on the basis of a single case study which this paper represents. Furthermore, since the last interviews were made four months after the move, all post-occupancy implications were possibly not yet fully experienced.
Originality/value
The paper provides information on the social impacts of organizational relocation process, as it identifies individual employee perceptions during a relocation process where locality change is minimal. Moreover, the threefold research approach across the relocation process enables the appearance of possible time-dependent development of adaptation to change in employee perceptions and these perceptions to be analysed in more detail.
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Deborah Levy and Gemma Peterson
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the availability of sustainable buildings may affect the decisions made by office occupiers in their building selection process.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how the availability of sustainable buildings may affect the decisions made by office occupiers in their building selection process.
Design/methodology/approach
The structure of the paper includes a review of both the sustainability literature and traditional location literature which serves to inform the study. A qualitative study comprising 13 in‐depth one‐to‐one interviews with decision makers of a variety of organisations who have chosen to locate in a “sustainable” building within the central business district in Auckland, New Zealand is undertaken.
Findings
The research suggests that selecting a building that is perceived to be sustainable by the market may not be the ultimate driving factor in the office location decision and that more emphasis is placed on micro location factors, attractiveness to staff, marketing and flexibility. The importance of each of these factors tends to be influenced by the size and type of organisation as well as the availability of suitable buildings in the market. The research reinforces the finding that organisations generally seek accommodation that can “add value” to their specific business.
Practical implications
The study provides a deeper understanding on the impact of the emergence of sustainable buildings in the decision‐making process of office tenants and how this may be affected by the size and type of the occupier organisation. These findings will be of practical application to property professionals involved in the development, sale and valuing of sustainable buildings.
Originality/value
This paper provides in‐depth insights into business location decisions from the perspective of a variety of tenants choosing to locate within a CBD.
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Organisations cannot effectively implement advanced workplace strategies and investment projects without clearly communicated vision, prioritised objectives and appropriate…
Abstract
Organisations cannot effectively implement advanced workplace strategies and investment projects without clearly communicated vision, prioritised objectives and appropriate performance metrics. With any business strategy and investment project, the objectives and metrics selected will combine both quantitative and qualitative elements and aim to achieve both internal and external impact. This multidimensionality of objectives indicates the use of a balanced scorecard system of measurement. This paper argues that a coherent evaluation and feedback system should be an integral part of any workplace change programme, and that time and expenditure should be budgeted for learning from prototyping or piloting, review, adaptation and communication of feedback. Without such a learning loop, real estate professionals will fail to convince business leaders of how changes in corporate workplaces contribute to business success.
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Aba Essanowa Afful, Joshua Ayarkwa, Godwin Kojo Kumi Acquah and Dickson Osei-Asibey
The aim of this study was to identify these enablers in literature and subsume them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to identify these enablers in literature and subsume them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among the enablers.
Design/methodology/approach
Fifty-four (54) relevant articles were desk reviewed from different construction peer-reviewed journals and published conference proceedings to identify 20 core enablers of incorporating indoor environmental quality (IEQ) into building designs.
Findings
The identified enablers include improved occupants' health, well-being and satisfaction, environmental conservation, high return on investments and co-operative methods of design and construction management among others. To better understand the enablers identified, they were classified into seven main interconnected categories: economic enablers, environmental enablers, occupant and end-user enablers, process enablers, corporate image, culture and vision enablers, client-related enablers and external enablers.
Research limitations/implications
The interconnectedness brought to the fore a subtler appreciation of the drivers of IEQ, which could help expand current knowledge outside the narrow scope of isolated drivers. The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.
Practical implications
Understanding that the enablers will enhance the adoption and design of quality indoor environments, help in building the capacity of consultants to adopt the design of quality IEs and reduce the impact of construction on the environment.
Social implications
These identified enablers are not limited geographically and thus could promote the design of quality indoor environments globally, particularly in green building design. To the global construction community, this review presents a list of enablers that would expedite the adoption of principles of IEQ designs in buildings thus taking the global construction industry one more step towards sustainable built forms. Promoting the identified enablers would ultimately steer stakeholders to design and build better indoor environments.
Originality/value
The fact that the papers selected in this study are not limited geographically underscores the wide applicability of the findings to the global construction industry.
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Kemi Adeyeye, Poorang Piroozfar, Micah Rosenkind, Graham Winstanley and Ian Pegg
This paper aims to review the impact of design and specification decisions for major works during post‐occupancy processes; the routine maintenance and management of school…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the impact of design and specification decisions for major works during post‐occupancy processes; the routine maintenance and management of school premises. It also seeks to explore the relationship between the main stakeholders and how this impacts decision‐making and the post‐occupancy operation of school buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
In addition to a literature review, qualitative data were also obtained through a focus group; a steering group. The steering group consisted of stakeholders tasked with delivering and managing school premises in the Sussex County.
Findings
The findings contribute to understanding the impact of design decisions on post‐occupancy processes in schools. A basic model is also presented as a guide for requirements and decision mapping in post‐occupancy design decision processes in schools.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted with the participation of a representative sample of stakeholders. There may be the need to investigate the issues further in a localised context before detailed solutions are proposed.
Practical implications
The paper reports findings based on the needs, requirements, and preferences of the stakeholders as well as the opportunities and constraints to improving the quality of design processes which in turn will improve post occupancy processes.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the complexity of design decision‐making in schools, presents the viewpoint of stakeholders, and proposes a basic model to ensure performance for post‐occupancy processes to inform the next stage of the research.
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There is an integral link between theory and measurement suggesting that validation of measures should be the first stage of theory testing. The purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
There is an integral link between theory and measurement suggesting that validation of measures should be the first stage of theory testing. The purpose of this paper is to validate the factorial validity of needs and expectations (NAE) features as determinants of low-income residents’ housing satisfaction in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data were collected by a questionnaire survey conducted among 751 low-income housing residents’ in three metropolitan and one district municipality in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Data gathered via the questionnaire survey were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) version 6.2 which was used to assess the factorial structure of the constructs.
Findings
SEM analysis revealed that the internal consistency coefficients were over 0.70 criterion for acceptability and the constructs showed a good mode fit to the sample data. The Z-statistics analysis revealed that the construct (NAE) have direct influence in determining low-income residents’ satisfaction with their houses.
Originality/value
The SEM result advocates a practical consideration of the construct and its respective indicator variables in future development of low-income housing in South Africa.
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Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management…
Abstract
Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.