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In the battle for resources the facilities management professional must overcome not only the tendency for many organisations to misunderstand the relevance of his area of expertise, but also the lingering defeatism common to many facilities managers. Given the history of decision‐making in the facilities management field, this defeatism is understandable. Much of the blame for ineffectiveness must however, lie with facilities managers themselves, for failing to appeal to the real motivations of ‘clients’.

The school building stock in England and Wales amounts to 500 million ft2 of accommodation — a major asset, and one that needs to be protected. Bodies as diverse as Her Majesty's Inspectorate and the Audit Commission have already publicised the fact that this asset is under‐utilised and lacking in the investment to maintain its value or usefulness. This waste of potential resources is not only a national problem but is recognised internationally. It is in this international forum that the Programme on Education Building (PEB) makes its unique contribution.

To what extent does a building reflect the image of the corporation? Frequently there is a relationship between business strategy and design. It would be a mistake to view this purely as fashion: there is a need to “brand” buildings as though they are items of merchandise. Facilities managers need to understand the organisation′s brands and markets so that investment in design and building complements the organisation′s market positioning.

Last October, a two‐day conference on the application of investment appraisal techniques in educational buildings was held in Paris, organised by the Programme for Educational Buildings division of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD). Public and private sector professionals of different nationalities contributed examples of investment appraisal methods which had been applied to educational projects in their particular country. What the event highlighted was the growing recognition of the need to control unit costs in educational buildings — in the context of declining pupil numbers and increasingly limited resources — and the lack of coherent economic appraisal policy.

Discusses some of the ways that newly corporate polytechnics might benefit from facilities management. Argues that if polytechnics are to realise their full potential then their architectural environment must be seen to support their educational goals. Suggests a number of areas in which educational institutions could improve their environmental performance.

Looks at design, its process and importance as a management tool. Concentrates on service design and the choice of options available. Focuses on the various service skills and includes examples of models also to aid in design skills.

In October we discussed the reasoning and procedures for achieving a rational and standardised system of records management (Facilities, Vol 6/No 10, October 1988). In this issue we provide a guide to the various market options for storing material currently available.

The concept of the paperless office — like that of the cableless office — has met with a good deal of scepticism. But whereas there are reported sightings of companies considering the use of fibre optic cable right up to the workstation, few rumours exist of companies outlawing paper as a means of communication and transfer of information.

Video gaming, which remains culturally embedded in masculine ideals, is increasingly becoming a leisure activity for female consumers. Guided by social dominance theory, this paper examines how female gamers navigate the masculine-oriented gaming consumption context.

Eight avid female gamers (ages 20–29) participated in-depth interviews, following a phenomenological approach to better understand their lived experiences with video gaming. Data were analyzed using phenomenological procedures.

Findings reveal an undercurrent of gender-based consumer vulnerability, driven by stereotypical perceptions of “gamer girls” in the masculine-oriented gaming subculture. Further, the findings highlight the multilayered, multidimensional nature of gaming as a vulnerable consumption environment, at individual, marketplace, and cultural levels.

The culturally embedded gamer girl stereotype provides a foundation upon which characteristics of consumer vulnerability flourish, including a culture of gender-based consumer harassment, systematic disempowerment in the marketplace, and conflicting actions and attitudes toward future cultural change.

This research suggests female gamers struggle to gain a foothold in gaming due to the socially and culturally constructed masculine dominance of the field. Our research study provides a stepping-stone for future scholars to explore gendered subcultures and begins to address the dynamic interplay of power, gender, technology, and the market.