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Article
Publication date: 14 October 2021

Visar Hoxha, Dhurata Hoxha and Jehona Hoxha

The purpose of this study is to identify which are the main factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, during the period 2018–2020. The factors…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify which are the main factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, during the period 2018–2020. The factors identified will be used by real estate developers and investors for better decision-making in apartment investments.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is quantitative. The methodology analyzes 1,468 real estate transaction contracts of apartment buildings using a probability random sampling. The research methodology uses multiple regression analysis to identify whether the research model is significant in predicting apartment prices but also identify which are the main factors that influence the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.

Findings

The present study finds that location, size, floor, access to road and building quality affect apartment prices in Prishtina, whereas surprisingly access to green spaces and availability of parking spaces have no statistically significant effect on apartment prices in Kosovo.

Research limitations/implications

The study has great implications for the real estate developers in Prishtina, Kosovo showing how to improve their decision-making process in real estate investments to know which characteristics are most valued by investors for investment in new apartment buildings in Prishtina, Kosovo and local authorities in Prishtina, Kosovo to modernize the access to road infrastructure for its inhabitants and adopt building regulations that will enforce strict criteria as far as building quality is concerned.

Originality/value

The study is the first quantitative study that studies the factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 November 2021

Visar Hoxha, Dhurata Hoxha and Jehona Hoxha

While facilities management (FM) in Kosovo is a constantly growing discipline, the studies so far in Kosovo have been scarce and too general. The purpose of the paper is to…

Abstract

Purpose

While facilities management (FM) in Kosovo is a constantly growing discipline, the studies so far in Kosovo have been scarce and too general. The purpose of the paper is to discuss the current situation of FM in Kosovo, identify challenges and recommend new future development directions of the sector with regard to capabilities of facility managers, integration of technology in FM and FM standardization.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses qualitative method by using semi-structured interviews with purposive sample of 20 FM professionals with experience of more than 15 years that cover public, private sector and international organizations.

Findings

The present study finds that FM in Kosovo is in its infancy stage, and it is mainly perceived as maintenance and cleaning with the low level of outsourcing. Generally, it was agreed that FM industry in Kosovo faces several challenges such as lack of budget, resources and staff; inappropriate FM planning; absence of uniform KPIs and low sensitivity of FM to sustainability. The study finally finds that FM in Kosovo can be enhanced only through integration of novel technologies, development of adaptive capability of facility managers and adequate FM standardization.

Research limitations/implications

The present study helps researchers and practitioners to understand the current situation of FM in Kosovo in terms of planning, outsourcing and primary purpose of FM in Kosovo. The study also provides an overview of challenges of FM in Kosovo, which can be used by researchers and practitioners to identify future development directions for the sector and profession.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the current knowledge about the state of development of FM in transitional countries such as Kosovo. The findings will identify future development areas of FM in Kosovo especially with regard to capability and skills of FM professionals and integration of technology in FM, which can be used by other countries facing the same perceptional and developmental challenges in FM.

Details

Property Management, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 December 2022

Visar Hoxha, Hasan Metin, Islam Hasani, Elvida Pallaska, Jehona Hoxha and Dhurata Hoxha

The overall purpose of the study is to identify the gender differences in color preferences for different types of interior space in the residential built environment in…

Abstract

Purpose

The overall purpose of the study is to identify the gender differences in color preferences for different types of interior space in the residential built environment in Prishtina, Kosovo. Additionally, the purpose of the study is also to identify the gender differences in the emotions that various colors trigger in occupants of the mainly residential built environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses a quantitative study and χ2 test to analyze whether the variables formulated by study hypotheses are dependent on gender. The data are gathered by a questionnaire to measure the color preferences of the respondents. The study uses a questionnaire with eight questions that were distributed to 303 respondents using the stratified probability sampling, using gender as the main stratum for probability sampling.

Findings

The study finds that there are no gender differences in color preferences for home lighting, living room, bedroom, study room and children’s rooms in the residential built environment. The study also finds that there is a gender difference in color preferences that trigger emotions of tranquility, stability and security and warmth and pleasure in both male and female respondents.

Practical implications

The implications of this study are that real estate and facility management firms must conduct marketing research to identify the color preferences for both housing interior and exterior depending on the different local cultural backgrounds of clients. Firms must provide training for real estate agents on the color preferences of clients for various types of spaces and the differences that may exist based on gender but also other variables.

Originality/value

The present study is the first quantification of gender differences in color preferences of the residential built environment in the capital city of an understudied region such as Kosovo.

Details

Facilities , vol. 41 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2019

Visar Hoxha

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the carbon emissions emitted by two different typical apartment units representative of two different construction periods in Kosovo due…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the carbon emissions emitted by two different typical apartment units representative of two different construction periods in Kosovo due to main construction materials as a consequence of embodied energy.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses a three-step (bottom-up) process-based life cycle analysis of the construction material set for two different apartment units. The current study uses material analysis. Embodied CO2 is estimated by multiplying material masses with the corresponding ECO2 coefficients (kg CO2/kg). Due to the lack of a comprehensive Kosovo database, data from an international database are utilized. The results provide practical baseline indicators for the contribution of each material in terms of mass and embodied CO2.

Findings

Results of quantitative research find that apartment unit representative of the old communist-era construction produces 50 percent more embodied CO2 emissions than an apartment unit that is representative of modern construction in Kosovo. The study finds that this difference comes mainly because of the utilization of larger quantities of steel, concrete, and precast fabricated concrete in the apartment unit that is representative of the old communist era.

Research limitations/implications

The calculation of embodied CO2 emissions for major construction materials in typical apartments in Kosovo can help in the development of national databases in the future. The availability of such databases could help the construction industry in Kosovo to open up to new sustainable design approaches since such databases and evaluations performed in the national context in Kosovo could help the builders in selecting, assessing and using environmentally friendly materials during the design or refurbishment stage of a building.

Originality/value

This paper is the first investigation of the embodied carbon emission in two different typical apartment building structures in Kosovo.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

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Article
Publication date: 9 January 2020

Visar Hoxha

The purpose of this study is to quantify the energy heating performance of apartment buildings in Kosovo built after 2003 and compare it against the energy heating performance of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to quantify the energy heating performance of apartment buildings in Kosovo built after 2003 and compare it against the energy heating performance of buildings in member states of EU and selected European countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes a case study approach focussed on the assessment of the heating energy performance of the building. This approach facilitated a detailed calculation of the selected materials’ energy performance used in a representative building structure in Kosovo comparing with passive buildings standard and energy heating performance of buildings in member states of EU and selected European countries.

Findings

Results of quantitative research find that the energy heating performance of apartment buildings in Kosovo built after 2003 is far higher than that of passive buildings standard and is better than the average annual energy heating performance of apartment buildings in member states of the EU and selected European countries.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides new knowledge regarding energy heating performance in new residential buildings in Kosovo and compares the findings with earlier research and energy consumption in other selected European countries. The research provides great benefits for researchers and practitioners working in the field of energy management as it compares the energy performance of residential buildings across Europe.

Originality/value

This paper provides a perspective on investigating the energy performance of a building structure of a residential apartment building in Prishtina, Kosovo. By unveiling the level of energy consumption of a residential apartment building in Kosovo representative of the new construction period can help the facility managers to acknowledge the standards they must achieve to refurbish the old building stock to achieve at least the same standard as the buildings in the new construction period.

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2022

Visar Hoxha and Veli Lecaj

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the regulatory barriers to achieving sustainable buildings in Kosovo. The present paper focuses on regulatory barriers viewed from the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the regulatory barriers to achieving sustainable buildings in Kosovo. The present paper focuses on regulatory barriers viewed from the perspective of construction industry experts in achieving sustainable buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses a qualitative research method and semi-structured interviews as a research instrument. The present study interviews around 20 experts in construction and property management, property development, spatial planning and energy management.

Findings

The study finds that Kosovo building laws and regulations provide for the materials assessment criteria, but the materials assessment criteria are only for mechanic strength. The study further finds that the sustainability concept is not included and incorporated in Kosovo's urban planning laws and regulations. The study also finds that despite specific clauses mentioning energy performance certificates in the Law on Energy Performance of Buildings in Kosovo, energy performance certificates appears to be not enforced and the nature of the barrier is more organizational rather than regulatory. Finally, the study finds that Kosovo laws are silent as far as green labeling of building materials is concerned.

Practical implications

The implication of the present finding is that policymakers in Kosovo not only should include clear sustainable materials assessment criteria in the law, but also enforce those criteria through testing and inspection mechanisms included in the law and implemented in practice through funding and organizational support. Nonetheless, policymakers in Kosovo should contemplate amending the urban planning laws in Kosovo and include both the term of sustainability at the planning level and conformity guidelines for sustainable design that can be done at the administrative directive level. Further, the clauses in the law do not suffice if the clauses are not accompanied by specific systemic and organizational support in the issuance of energy performance certificates. Policymakers in Kosovo should be proactive in designing clauses that specify green labeling standards for materials; however, these labeling standards should not adversely affect the cost of construction and reduce the demand for real estate.

Originality/value

The study is the first qualitative study about the perception of construction professionals in Kosovo, regarding the regulatory barriers of sustainable buildings in Kosovo.

Details

Property Management, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2019

Visar Hoxha and Sara Sadiku

The purpose of this paper is to explore, from the view of buyers and sellers, the relationship between the blockchain technology and various important aspects of real estate…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore, from the view of buyers and sellers, the relationship between the blockchain technology and various important aspects of real estate transactions such as transparency, security and cost reduction.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses a quantitative research method. For the purpose of this study, a questionnaire with close-ended questions is used. The questionnaire was distributed to both buyers and sellers alike. The study included 1,000 people using the stratified probability sampling. The study uses factor analysis to analyze the relationship between the blockchain technology and other research variables such as such as transparency, security and cost reduction.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that the buyers and sellers perceive that the transparency and cost reduction have the highest influence on the intention to adopt blockchain technology in a real estate transactions system, followed by the security of transactions.

Practical implications

The study has great implications for the real estate transactions system in Kosovo and society in general. The study shows that the blockchain technology can provide for a transparent and errorless interaction between buyers and sellers of real estate. Since smart contracts eliminate the need for third parties in real estate transactions, the cost of transactions shall be considerably reduced due to elimination of intermediaries and due to process speed and efficiency. Finally, the blockchain technology can increase the trust between parties and shall serve as a means to fight corruption and money laundering in real estate investments.

Originality/value

The study is the first quantitative study that studies the causal link between the blockchain technology and important aspects of real estate transactions system such as transparency, security and transaction costs.

Details

Property Management, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 March 2022

Visar Hoxha and Emblema Zeqiraj

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the performance of real estate agents in Prishtina, Kosovo. The study also investigated the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of emotional intelligence (EI) on the performance of real estate agents in Prishtina, Kosovo. The study also investigated the relationship of each dimension of emotional intelligence with the real estate agent's performance (REAP) in Prishtina, which is the city with the largest number of real estate agents in Kosovo.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study used quantitative research with the questionnaire used as a research instrument. The questionnaire survey was conducted with 78 real estate agents in Prishtina, Kosovo. The sampling method used in this research was random sampling.

Findings

The findings of this study indicated that emotional intelligence has a significant impact on the job performance of real estate agents. The study also found that relationship management (RM) and social awareness (SOA) have a strong effect on real estate agents' performance, whereas self-awareness (SA) does not seem to have any statistically significant explanatory power over REAP.

Research limitations/implications

This study can be utilized as a landmark for agents of real estate on understanding how the agents can use emotional intelligence in agents' favor by pointing out the prominence of EI in realizing the needs and desires of the potential buyers and the influence EI has on the decision to buy property. Furthermore, through this study, the real estate agencies will be provided with multiple reasons that substantiate the necessity to hire emotionally trained agents, and besides professional preparation, the companies must provide employees with behavioral training.

Originality/value

The present study is the first quantification of the impact of emotional intelligence and dimensions of emotional intelligence on the performance of Prishtina's real estate agents.

Details

Property Management, vol. 40 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 July 2019

Visar Hoxha

The purpose of this paper is to study the sustainable impact of adaptive reuse of shopping malls built during communism in Kosovo.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the sustainable impact of adaptive reuse of shopping malls built during communism in Kosovo.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study uses qualitative research using semi-structured interviews with architects, civil engineers, real estate developers and facility managers.

Findings

The study found that it is the predominant opinion of respondents that the economic impact of adaptive reuse of old shopping malls in Kosovo is reflected through extension of useful life of the malls, lower cost of reuse vs demolition, economic and tourism development of the neighborhood, job creation and increase of property prices in the surrounding area. In addition, the study found that it is the predominant opinion of respondents that by adaptive reuse of old shopping malls, the revitalization and social dynamism of the surrounding area will be improved and collective memory and identity of these shopping malls will be extended, including the increased traffic, space utilization and security. The study concludes that operational CO2 emission of the old shopping malls will be reduced after their sustainable adaptation and also the embodied energy of the building materials will be reused.

Research limitations/implications

The study has several implications. For real estate developers, it shows that is less costly to adapt and refurbish rather than redevelop. For authorities, it shows that by adapting old communist shopping malls, they would extend the collective memory of those locations, improve the social life and utilization of public spaces in the surrounding areas. The final implication is for municipal authorities and environmentalists that but allowing adaptation rather than demolition and redevelopment the embodied CO2 emission will be significantly reduced.

Originality/value

The study is the first qualitative study about the impact of adaptive reuse of old communist style commercial centers in Kosovo.

Details

Property Management, vol. 37 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 December 2022

Visar Hoxha and Dhurata Hoxha

The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of intention for energy and water conservation behavior in Prishtina, Kosovo by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the determinants of intention for energy and water conservation behavior in Prishtina, Kosovo by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) conceptual framework and then examine the influence of intention and demographic factors on the conservation behavior itself. In addition, the present study examines the differences between urban and rural consumers in Prishtina in terms of their intention for energy and water conservation behaviors and their actual conservation behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative approach by conducting ten in-depth interviews followed by one focus group with urban consumers and ten in-depth interviews followed by one focus group with rural consumers in Prishtina to analyze the influence of determinants on the conservation intention. In addition, the present study uses the quantitative research method to empirically examine the influence of intention and demographic variables on the actual conservation behavior.

Findings

The findings show that there is a difference between the urban and rural sample populations in Prishtina in terms of determinants that influence their intention to conserve energy and water. While attitude is the strongest determinant among the urban population, the social norms seem to be the strongest antecedent of the behavioral intention among the rural population. In addition, the study finds that the intention, income, family size and place of residence as a whole influence the actual behavior; however, the manifestation of the influence of separate variables on the actual conservation varies between urban and rural population. While intention is very strong among urban respondents and the actual conservation behavior is less dependent on the income level and family size, in the case of rural respondents, intention alone is not sufficient to predict the actual behavior and varies also on the income level.

Originality/value

The study brings unique and new knowledge about the application of the TPB in the context of small and developing economies bridging the research gaps arising from few scholarly research studying the differences between urban and rural populations.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 17 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

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